The Real Deal Job
by Grace Killian
Summary: Keely is a charmingly awkward and guileless girl, whose psychic abilities have kept her on the run from those who want to abuse it. She finds safety with the Leverage crew, as well as using her abilities to help them on their jobs. Her friendship with Eliot develops into a genuine love, neither were expecting. This story is written like episodes, so it jumps from job to job a bit.
1. Chapter 1

Eliot grumbled as he pushed his shoulder through the swinging glass door. Hardison's constantly chirping voice followed close behind. Dying to get him to shut up or at least discuss something other than the newest upgrades on the coms, Elliot pointed to his drink. "Dude, when are you going to stop drinking that? How old are you? Be a man for crying out loud."

Hardison took a defensive sip of his hot chocolate, a charmingly innocent mustache of whipped cream remained on his lip. "Hey I don't judge your drink choices. I can't even pronounce your alien tea."

They walked as they argued. It was so routine for them now, they could practically do anything while they argued. "It's not alien. It's a traditional Turkish tea and if you knew anything in the real world you would know…." Eliot's voice trailed off as he stared.

Hardison didn't catch on right away. "Know what? That I'm awesome. That all ya all should be more grateful for me. That…" In a flash of movement, Eliot bolted down the street at full speed. Hardison mumbled in confusion and then bumbling for a minute, started to follow. "Eliot man, what the heck is wrong with you?" He glanced behind him, "Did you see an old girlfriend or something? See this is what you get for sleeping with half of Boston. It's called Karma."

But Eliot didn't have time to answer Hardison. He pumped his legs to fly even faster. If it wasn't for Eliot's trained eye to be constantly aware of his surroundings, he wouldn't have noticed the boy edging towards the street in the first place. He yelled for him to move, but even as he ran he knew it was too late. The boy was already in the middle of the street with a car coming toward him. Eliot was just too far away. His stomach clenched with sickening dread as the car barreled towards the small frame, about to crush him.

Then, unbelievably fast, a form flew from the sidewalk and reached the boy before the car. In a blur of motion it dove, caught the boy and rolled. The savior must have run at the boy at a full sprint, because the force of the save and the roll slammed them both into fire hydrant. Eliot discovered that the boy's rescuer was female by the sound of pain she made.

She clutched the shaking boy to her chest as she lay there, trying in vain to prop herself upright again. Eliot was close enough to make out some of her features. She had thick strawberry colored hair that had fallen loose from her hat. She had a sweet cherub face and wide honey gold eyes. Basically the sweet genuine type of girls he stayed far away from.

He was also close enough to see the blood matted to her hair and dripping down her forehead. Her eyes opened and shut repeatedly as if she was trying to stay conscious and focused. She must have hit her head on the fire hydrant when she rammed into it. She winced when she trying to right herself and clutched her right arm. Probably dislocated.

Eliot kept heading in her direction. He couldn't help but be impressed. She had gotten to the boy so fast. Faster than normal reaction would be, unless she started moving towards him even before he was near the street. As if she knew what would happen.

Eliot's eyes narrowed on the woman when he realized she wasn't acting typically. After a quick glance down to the boy to see if he was alright, her eyes immediately darted up, looking around frantically, as if terrified and not relieved that she had successfully saved the boy.

Even though she grimaced in pain, she stood up and deposited the boy safety on the sidewalk and then… left. She not only left, she hobbled away as quickly as possibly, despite her obvious state of pain and disarray.

Eliot was about to cross the street to follow her when two black vans screeched in front of him. The sliding doors opened and several suited men came running out, sprinting after the injured woman. Eliot squeezed between the vans to race after them, something was definitely not right.

Keely ran harder, trying to make her brain disconnect from the pain. But the shoulder injury and sore muscles were the least of her problems. The blow to her head was interfering with her ability to _See_. It was the only way she had been able to stay out of reach of these suited goons for so long. She could always see where and when they were coming and instinctively know how to move to get away from them. Now she could only get snippets, basically images of them chasing after her, which wasn't telling her anything she didn't already know. Yet, the raging headaches and dizziness cut them short.

As she ran she jumped and weaved through the crowd. She passed by vehicles seconds before they would hit her, which helped her gain time on her pursuers, but it was not enough. Abruptly, she hit a dead end. Something that would never had happened without her head injury. She whipped around and found she instantly was surrounded. As they closed in on her she took retreating steps, but only backed into a chain link fence.

She tried to control her breathing. To not let the mind numbing fear overtake her. Keely clenched her fists to stop them from shaking. _Relax Keely. This isn't the first time you've had to fight them. You've gotten away before and you'll do it again. Just be smart. Think! You will not let them take you! Never! _"Never," she growled aloud. Keely let the rage at them overtake her. Rage was more productive than fear.

The first man tried to reach for her. Idiot. She was able to duck under his outstretched arms without even needing to _see_ his intentions. She spun and kicked him in the back, sending him careening into the wall. The next two who tried to take her were avoided and taken down as well.

However her sheer determination was not enough to overcome the limits of her injuries. Every time she had some inclination of how they would move next, a gripping wave of dizziness and pain overtook her. Sensing her weakening, they charged her.

She was able to dodge a few blows, but not all. A fist to her stomach had her crumpled to the floor. She kicked him, but another managed to hit her ribs making it difficult to breathe. She ducked and rolled past some, but when one blow hit her already throbbing temple she lost all ability to fight back. It took every ounce of her will power, to not collapse and black out. Only the knowledge that where they would be taking her was far worse than anything she was enduring now, kept her conscious.

She propped herself onto the fence and grabbed hold of a pole near her feet. Practically blinded by the blood steaming down her face and the pain overriding her senses, she swung out madly and furiously with the pole, screaming in near hysteria. She would not give up, no matter what. If she was lucky, maybe they would manage to kill her before they took her.

That's how Eliot found her when he turned the corner into the alleyway. His gaze narrowed at the sight. Here was this girl who looked as wholesome and innocent as a preschool teacher, practically ripped to shreds and still fighting valiantly against overwhelming odds. They had certainly already done a number on her. She could barely stand and was covered with bleeding wounds. Yet he could still see the few men she had still impressively managed to overcome. Yet no matter how injured she was or what odds she faced, she was refusing to go down… just like him.

With a growl of pure genuine wrath, he cracked his knuckles and went to work. They weren't that easy to take down. It was obvious they had training, but in the mood Eliot was in after seeing that poor girl, it took practically no time at all.

When the final man was unconsciously groaning and dumped into the nearest trash bin, he turned to the girl. She was still leaning against that fence and still clutching that pole like a lifeline. Even though her eyes were rolling back in her head and she seemed barely unconscious.

She started to fall and Eliot ran forward to catch her, "Hey!" She was limp in his arms, with her big almond shaped eyes. There glossiness made the honey color seem almost gold as they stared up at him. For a moment those eyes narrowed and focused on him and then widened with… recognition. But that was impossible, he had never seen her before in his life and he never forgot a face. Just when he thought he was imagining it, she managed to speak in a hoarse whisper, "It's you."

She winced when his hold on her slightly tightened. "Alright there sweetheart, don't worry. I'm taking you to a hospital."

Her eyes shot open in pure panic and she gripped his shirt. The force was impressive in her conditions. "No hospitals, no! Please! No doctors! They'll find me." Her eyes started to close, "They always find me." She finally fainted, completely boneless in his arms.


	2. Chapter 2

Eliot cursed and switched on his com and was rewarded with Hardison's wailing complaints. You would have thought his favorite pet had run off rather than just losing sight of a friend. "Calm down Hardison. We have a situation. Get the car."

"What the heck do you need the car for?"

In one smooth movement he lifted the girl and started carrying her towards the street. "We have a new client."

Hardison and Eliot took her to Nate's place. Hardison, the ever prepared, had a stash of medical supplies that would rival any emergency room. Eliot wasn't happy about it, but he respected her wishes to avoid the doctors and hospitals. He had been through too many cryptic situations himself, to not be cautious.

She was not lying about being followed either. Those men were well dressed and well funded and had been ruthless about finding and catching her. He had been well trained enough in first aid to feel reasonably confident about treating her.

She had a few bruised ribs, a dislocated shoulder, a couple of massive bumps on her head, but mostly cuts and bruises. It was nothing worse than he had received in the field. But unlike him, this girl was no soldier. _Who could be capable of doing something like this to a sweet normal-looking girl and why did they want her so bad?_ He would have to wait for answers until she woke up.

He stopped to watch her for a moment. The poor thing had more bandages than skin showing. Layers of red-gold hair now spread around her on the pillow. Her wide eyes were shut with lashes fanned against her round cheeks. They were shadowed in darkness from not only her injuries, but exhaustion. He remembered when those eyes were opened and how they looked at him with wonder and familiarity. It was yet another mystery, but one he found himself most curious about. Eliot shook himself when he realized he had been staring at her longer than he intended.

When Eliot exited the bedroom and closed the door gently behind him, he found the team on the couch already waiting for him. Nate was irritated, as he always was when decisions were made without him. "You brought her here? We don't even show clients this place."

Before Eliot could snap back at him, Sophie was already stepping in. "Don't be ridiculous Nate. You would have done the same thing and you know it." Nate grumbled, but his lack of response was, as close to an agreement they would get.

Parker bounced on the couch and crossed her legs, "So who is she?"

Hardison called out from the back table, typing furiously on his laptop, "I'm working on that. So far nothing pops on the facial recognition software." He shook his head, "Something's not right. A normal citizen like her should at least be registered at the DMV."

Eliot walked over towards Hardison and crossed his arms, "Be careful about searching too closely. You don't want anyone to know you are looking."

Nate took a sip from his drink, "Is it that bad?"

"This was no normal ambush. They were professionals and they were trying to take her no matter what."

Nate paused to think, "How is she doing now?"

Elliot let out a withheld breath, he hadn't realized he was holding. "She is resting in the bedroom. I dressed her injuries as well as I could. I still think she should see a doctor, but her adamant refusal tells me she's seriously frightened of something. Considering how she looks, she has a reason to be."

Nate nodded, "Guess we'll have to get answers the old fashioned way. By asking her."

* * *

Keely was wincing in pain, before she was even fully awake. Her eyes flew open and cold shaking panic gripped her, as it always did whenever she awoke in a new place. _Where was she? Did they take her? Was she back?_

Then slowly the memories started to seep in. Running from _them_. Her fight for escape and then of the man who saved her. She shook her head. She couldn't believe it was him. That he and all of them were actually real. Keely had started to convince herself they were a figment of her imagination. Something she had created in her mind simply to cope or maybe even not to feel so lonely.

But here she was, in their very own headquarters with all of them only a room away and very real. She knew exactly what she had to do.

Leave.

Gingerly she tested her limbs. Everything ached and throbbed, but seemed functional. Her head injury was now just a dull throb. It was actually her side that hurt at the moment. Her stinging ribs made it difficult to breath.

Slowly and silently she dressed herself, both to be careful with her ribs and to not alert the others she was awake. She had to put distance between them before they discovered she was gone. Knowing them, they'd try to find her. To relieve them of the fear she had been taken, she scribbled a note only saying "I'll be okay. Thank you."

She knew they were all upstairs and no one was in the next room, but she peeked out to make sure. With her head still hurting, she didn't trust her instincts fully. Stealthily she tiptoed to the front door and opened it, barely making a squeak. Just before she could slide her body through the opening, it boldly swung open. She stumbled backwards.

In the now fully open doorway stood the man who had saved her. His brow folded over those stunning aquamarine eyes with irritation and confusion. "Oh fudgsicles," she mumbled. There was no getting away now.

He marched towards her, slamming the door behind him with his foot. She backed away quickly. Even carrying bagged groceries, he was unbelievably intimidating. Larger than life.

"What are you doing?" he growled.

"Umm, I ummm," Keely started fidgeting. She was a horrible liar. "I'm feeling better," she announced. "I should get going. Thank you for your help." She pointed to the bedroom and swallowed at his increasingly darkening expression. "I left a note," she squeaked. He told hold of her hand and pulled her to the couch.

"You shouldn't be out of bed, let alone going anywhere. Did you forget those men almost killed you and are still after you? Where would you possibly go?" Keely started to say, "That's my problem…" but his fierce glare stopped her.

He started checking her injuries, tugging on bandages and looking underneath. Keely just watched him as he carefully inspected her. "Do you remember your name?"

She answered before thinking, "Keely." _Oh no, it probably wasn't good for them to know her real name. _

He smiled slightly, instantly melting that ferocious exterior into a devastatingly charming gorgeous cowboy, "I'm Eliot. Don't worry. We're here to help you." She just nodded at him dumbly, simply too overwhelmed by him. He watched her carefully, "Do you know me?"

Her eyes widened, "Ya… no. I'm sorry I don't." She gulped again, trying to appear nonchalant. "Should I?"

Eliot's eyes narrowed at her once again. She was lying. In fact, she was the worst liar he had ever seen. It was actually grudgingly adorable and entertaining. But lying about knowing him seemed so pointless.

He brushed back her hair to check her head, "Who were those men and why were they trying to capture you?"

Keely sputtered, "Umm… it's… it's difficult to explain." She couldn't focus, couldn't think with his fingers gently brushing her hair. To her utter mortification, her eyes began to well with tears. It had been so long since another person had touched her with tenderness and care. She hadn't realized how long it had truly been.

Eliot misunderstood the reason for her tears and immediately felt guilty, "Sorry, it's probably a lot for you to handle now. We can talk about it later."

He started to lift up the bottom her shirt to look at her ribs. Keely immediately yelped and flew backwards so fast she fell off the couch. Laying on the floor and clutching her shirt to herself, she stared up at Eliot, blinking at her in surprise. "Sorry, I… ah… am not used to that sort of thing." _Oh what an idiot Keely_. She wanted to slap her forehead in frustration. _Way to go, admitting you have basically no experience with guys. _

Eliot gave her that knowing devilish smile and helped her up, "Apparently." Keely blushed scarlet red.

Luckily for her at that moment the rest of the crew came trotting down the stairs. Hardison was carrying his laptop, "This is even worse than we thought, I found a…"

Keely stood up and waved at them, grinning excitedly and nervously as if her favorite band had just walked in, "Oh hi! It's you!" She gestured at them, "You're all here!"

They stared at her with perplexed expressions and then glanced at each other. Sophie stepped forward, "I'm sorry do you know us?"

Keely laughed and waved her hands, "No! No of course not. I'm just very… happy to meet you." She stuck out her hand, still grinning like a fool, "I'm Keely." When everyone cautiously introduced themselves, she giggled with more excitement at each hand shake.

"Really this is such an honor. I greatly appreciate everything you've done for me." She cleared her throat, instantly sobering up. "But as I was saying to Eliot, I should get going."

"Ah," Hardison interrupted, "that would be a very _very _bad idea. In my search for your identity, I discovered I was not the only one looking for your face. In fact, whoever is doing this, completely erased any evidence of your existence and now every camera in the world is basically searching for you. I'm talking about above CIA level espionage." He looked up at her. "Who are these people?"

Keely sighed, "I don't exactly know. All I know is they are incredibly powerful, dangerous and relentless."

Nate piped in, "Why would they possibly want you?"

Keely hesitated, biting her lip, "They think I have something of their's."

"Do you?"

"I didn't steal anything from them, if that's what you mean. They think I know things." She sat on the couch staring at the floor, "I used to have a normal life. A family, friends and a teaching job. Pretty much as average as they come. One day they just showed up out of no where and tried to take me, I've been on the run ever since." She paused, "It would be better if you stayed out of this one."

"What?" they all asked in unison.

"I would prefer if you didn't get involved and just let me leave. I'll be fine on my own."

Nate chuckled, "I don't think you understand. We deal with these kind of situations all the time. This is what we do."

Keely shook her head, deadly serious, "Not this time. They are completely different than anything you have ever dealt with. Right Hardison? You see what they are capable of?" Hardison rubbed his head anxiously, not wanting to admit the truth. Keely nodded, "So I appreciate your help, but if you get involved in this, it will get you killed. I promised myself awhile ago, I wouldn't let anyone else get hurt because of me." The room was dense with silence. "Thank you again for everything. Goodbye."

But the doorway was blocked by Eliot's hulking form, "You're not going anywhere."


	3. Chapter 3

Keely slumped in her chair with crossed arms and a scowl on her face. _They were just being so stubborn. Why wouldn't any of them listen to her? She was trying to save their lives for crying out loud!_

After Eliot forcefully steered her from the door, everyone basically laughed at her ridiculous warnings and continued on with their business of discovering the identity and motive of her attackers. She gave up when all of her protests were met with deaf ears or Sophie patting her on the head like a child in a snit.

A slab of beef jerky entered her vision. On the end of it was a long slim, narrow hand. It looked like a ballerina's hand, but Keely knew of all it was capable of. The walls it had scaled and the safes it had coaxed into submission. Keely met Parker's eyes, gnawing the beef jerky like a cow chewing cud. Parker had no clue how well Keely knew her. "Hungry?" Parker asked with a full mouth.

Keely smiled. She was so awkwardly adorable. "Thanks. But my jaw is still a little tender from this morning."

Just then a divine looking plate with tomato bisque soup and grilled cheese dropped in front of her. She looked up to see Eliot brushing off his hands. He pointed emphatically to the plate, "Eat."

Keely wanted to be stubborn and refuse because she was so immensely frustrated with him. Sadly, her will power failed her. She found herself gobbling down the food so fast, she could barely mumble out a thank you. She was starving. It had been so long since she'd eaten and even longer since she had a meal that looked like it came from a cooking magazine and smelled like nirvana.

As she ate, she realized the team wasn't talking about her situation anymore. They were talking about something else, another "client." It was a job they were probably working on before she barged in and interrupted them. Her lips curved as she took another bite of the oozing hot cheese. They were so cute, trying to talk in code, thinking she wouldn't understand them. She internally shook her head. _Oh, if they only knew._

Then it hit her. With a force that nearly had her choking on her sandwich. Luckily, no one seemed to notice the immediate tension of her body, her eyes momentarily glazed over, her crushing grip on her grilled cheese. When she came back to normal. She watched the team again. This time with worry in her eyes.

* * *

Everyone studied Keely as she casually switched channels on the television. Thankfully, not still talking about leaving. She also didn't seem the slightest bit concerned or curious about what they were rushing around and talking about. Nate leaned over the counter, "Well, she might not be all there with her conspiracy talk, but at least she isn't too observant."

Parker opened a soda can, "Yeah, thank God she's an idiot."

Eliot hit the table, "Hey! She's been through a lot. Cut her some slack."

Parker didn't seem too worried about upsetting him. "So where are we going to stick her tonight? Cause she's not staying with me." She twirled her finger next to her head, "Can you say psycho?" Everyone thought about the single room warehouse Parker slept in and agreed that wasn't the best place for their new, injured and practically traumatized client to stay.

Nate leaned back, "Well, she can't stay here either. If there's some chance she's not who she says she is, which we don't know at this point, she could get information from everything here and ruin us."

Sophie sat next to him with her tea. "Not to mention there are people still looking for her. She needs to remain hidden and protected."

Nate pointed at her. "Which eliminates Sophie who stays in one of the most opulent buildings in Boston." Sophie stared at him incredulously and rolled her eyes.

Hardison shrugged, "My place has it's own security system. It has to be one of the safest places around. She could stay with me."

Both Parker and Eliot shouted in unison, "No!" Hardison nearly fell out of his chair with the force of it.

Eliot rubbed his hands over his face, "That's it then. She'll have to stay with me."

Hardison laughed, "Sorry are you… are you kidding me? She's probably safer with those secret high tech gangsters than with…" He emerged from his own amusement long enough to see Eliot glaring at him hotly. A look Hardison knew too well to mean, _you are two seconds from getting your ass kicked. _ Hardison cleared his throat on cue. "Nah man, she'll be good with you. That's the best place for her."

Eliot packed his bag, enunciating each word with force, "Hell yeah, she'll be fine. I don't prey on injured, stranded, scared girls Hardison." Then he grinned wickedly, "I don't need to."

They expected her to be upset about staying with Eliot, or least renew her sentiments about leaving again, but she did neither. She politely thanked everyone and said goodbye. Suddenly, just before she was about to walk out the door with Eliot, she ran up to Parker and hugged her tightly. Everyone watched in stunned amazement as Parker stood morbidly frozen as a statue in Keely's exuberant embrace.

Keely peeled away and Hardison stood next to her with outstretched arms, assuming she wanted to hug everyone in gratitude, but instead she rushed by him and out the door. Parker looked like she at been petrified into a tree.

It made no sense. Parker had been the least warm and friendly to Keely, had done nothing especially to help her like Eliot did, and as usual, had been her socially awkward, insulting self. Why on earth would Keely only hug her?

* * *

Eliot felt suddenly self-conscious as he unlocked his door. It was ridiculous. He had brought countless girls back to his condo, why would this one make him feel nervous? Maybe because none of the girls he brought home were like this one. He glanced back at Keely, who was blinking at him with those eyes. Did they get bigger with each passing moment or was it just him? They reminded him of a puppy. A sweet, clueless, innocent puppy. Keely smiled radiantly at him, as if to reassure him.

He quickly ushered her inside. She had her choice of the four extra bedrooms. He didn't know whether she choose the one furthest from his on purpose or not. The memory of her extreme reaction and intense blushing when he had tried to check the bandage under her shirt, made him smile. She was a jumpy little thing.

Looking at her soiled clothes, he ran his fingers through his hair. "Um, I think I might have some women's clothes somewhere." He dug around his closet and unearthed a dress to hand to her.

She held up the dress and raised a brow at him. It was a slinky sexy dress that was obviously for someone twice her height and half her size. Eliot quickly grabbed it back. "Umm, maybe you should just borrow something of mine?"

She smirked, "I think that would be better."

Keely showered and emerged in a pair of Eliot's boxers and button down shirt. At the sight of her, Eliot nearly sputtered on his beer. He hadn't realized with all of the chaos, what an appealing little package she made. Her legs were more toned, than he realized, and very tantalizing in those short shorts, nearly invisible beneath his longer shirt. She was little and compact, but surprisingly voluptuous. Her innocent and naïve demeanor had misled him about what was hiding beneath those baggy clothes.

Not to mention her skin was glowing and dewy from the moisture of the shower, despite the many cuts and bruises. Her lips were full and pillow soft and those deep honey eyes reminded him of home. Of sunny porches and sweet tea and simple things...

Suddenly, Hardison's warning, about her being safe with him, echoed in his head and he growled with irritation at himself. He wasn't an animal. He could enjoy looking at a pretty girl, without being tempted to _do _anything about it.

"All set?"

Keely nodded hesitantly. "Yeah, it feels really good to be clean again." She bit her lip. "You wouldn't happen to have an extra tooth brush around?"

Eliot nodded, "I might, let me check." He left her in the kitchen and routed around his bathroom, "Sorry, but I don't really see anything."

She called back from the other room, "Did you check your hallway closet?" Eliot glanced up confused, but followed her suggestion. Sure enough, there was a large package of toothbrushes, he must have bought a while ago.

He came down the hallway with it, "How did you guess it would be…" Eliot found her in the kitchen, shuffling and looking exceedingly nervous and guilty. "… in the closet," he finished. He studied her flushed face, "You okay?"

She scuttled towards the stairway, "Yeah, I fine. Just tired is all. It's been a long day. Thanks for everything." She then turned and raced up the stairs to her room.

"Wait," Eliot called after her. "You forgot…" the door slammed closed.

"..your toothbrush."

Eliot was tempted to follow her and shake, whatever she was hiding, out of her. Keeping secrets was obviously not her strength. He glanced around the kitchen again and finally shrugged. What could she possibly have done? Other than trying to leave again, there wasn't really anything she _could _do. With one last glance to the stairway, he sighed and headed to his room.


	4. Chapter 4

_The next day... _

Nate turned from the business executive and mumbled discreetly, into his shirt cuff, "Hardison, you realize we are on a time limit here."

Within the confines of Lucille, Hardison scanned the multiple screen and typed steadily, "Hey give me a break. The security system is archaic. I can barely hack into it at all."

A gruff voice, resounded in com, "Damn it Hardison. Just do whatever you're doing faster!" Eliot yelled as he hung upside down in the elevator shaft alongside Parker.

"Alright, alright, hold your horses cowboy. I gotcha."

The elevator doors finally opened and Parker and Eliot swung themselves through. Not quite as gracefully, as they would have, if the door had opened 20 minutes earlier.

They landed with a thump and with a nod of understanding between them, headed in opposite directions. The plan was a relatively simple and easy, in comparison to most of their previous jobs. Nate and Sophie would distract the chemical plant executives. Eliot would intercept the guards. Parker and Hardison would discover as much evidence as possible, to prove the working conditions of the plant are hazardous and that the executives were aware of it. They would use the evidence to help the workers, in a civil suit to pay for the suffocating medical debts and bring justice to those who lost their lives because of chemical leakage into the water supply.

Parker bent down in front of the huge metal door leading to the containment area. She needed to get samples and take photos. Yet, when she reached into belt, something was missing. "My tools."

"What?" Eliot asked as he pinned a guard to the floor.

"My tools are gone. They are supposed to be in my belt. They are _always _in my belt."

It was true, they knew for a fact Parker slept with them.

She shook her head, "Guys, I can't pick this lock without something."

With a final punch, Eliot knocked the other guard unconscious. "Hold on maybe I have it." They were hanging upside down for quite some time. Perhaps, it slipped out. Eliot searched his jacket and his bag and did find something unfamiliar, but it wasn't Parker's lock picking tools. It was a knife. In fact, it was _his _kitchen knife. "What the hell," he mumbled. How did _that_ get in there?

Hardison did a search of the building, "There's a controller's office a few doors to your right. Maybe you can at least find a paper clip or something, to use to get in there."

Parker pivoted and took only a few steps before she was suddenly thrown through the air by the force of the explosion behind her. She crashed into the ground with the searing heat licking up her back. Her ears were buzzing and she shook her head to shake off the dizzy discombobulation.

Parker efficiently snuffed out the flaming debris on her clothes and looked behind her. The door she had just been standing in front of was crumpled and slammed into the opposite wall by the force of the explosion. If she had been standing there, or worse if she had been in that room, like she had planned, there wouldn't be enough of her remains to identify.

By the time she pulled herself up, enough of her hearing was restored she could hear her friends' frantic voices, especially Hardison's. "Parker, are you okay? Parker! Parker!"

Parker's voice finally came through, winded but ok. "I'm alright." Hardison took a moment, to feel his heart start beating again and sent a prayer of gratitude.

She walked away from the explosion debris, "But we do have a problem."

Nate stood up and paced, seeming like he was getting up, to get another drink, "They are destroying the evidence. Rather than paying the fines and risk closing down, they are destroying the plant and using the insurance money to do it all over again. Everyone get out now. It's a set up."

Nate turned to find the barrel of gun in his face, with a smug smile on it's suited bearer, "Oh, I would say it's too late for that Mr. Ford." Nate's brows rose at the use of his real name. _Oh, they were in trouble now._

Nate and Sophie were neatly tied to chairs, circled by a plethora of guards and the armed Mr. Avian, who the crew previously thought was a corrupt, greedy and immoral businessman. Now, they knew they he was really a corrupt, greedy and immoral businessmen, who was not above murder to maintain his wealth.

"How did you know?" Nathan asked, while trying to lean confidently back in his chair. Seeming in control, even being tied up and having a gun pointed to his head, but his hand gripped Sophie's tightly behind his back.

Eliot roared over the com, "I'm coming Nate. Just hold on!" He ran as fast as he could, while trying to overcome the army of guards, they had sent after him.

Nate breathed. He just needed to buy time, keep him talking. Mr. Avian smiled, "It seems we have a mutual friend, Mr. Ford...

Dean Chesny."

Sophie gave his hand a meaningful squeeze.

"Yeah, he warned me about you. He warned everyone he knew, about you. Mr. Chesny doesn't seem to like you too much. Even promised me a fat pay out if I managed to kill you and your team. Of course, I'd do it for free." He leaned closer into Nate's face,

"But he doesn't have to know that, does he?"

Sophie and Nate's minds whirled, searching for an out, a con, a trick, anything to stop or delay him. But there was nothing, he knew everything already. This had been a trap from the beginning. What could they do?

"This whole place will be a massive crater in an hour, but I choose to be thorough. It's why I've always been such a success."

Eliot finally stormed into the main room, bursting through the door. But he was two floors above them and too far away to stop a bullet. Mr. Avian cocked the gun and aimed, "Good-bye Mr. Ford." Sophie screamed and shook in her chair, "No!"

With a soldier's pure instincts to react in a crisis, Eliot took the kitchen knife in his hand and threw it. It neatly sunk into Mr. Avian's gun hand. He dropped the gun and clutched his bleeding hand, screaming.

Nate's opened one eye and then the next, he had been squeezing them shut tighter than he was squeezing Sophie's hand. "Hardison, lights!" he yelled. The lights went dark, just as he kicked backwards off Mr. Avian. Gunfire immediately erupted, but pressed against the ground, they were safe from being hit.

Eliot slid on the night vision sunglasses Hardison made him for his birthday, leapt from the balcony and went to work. He slid in behind each guard as they were shooting wildly and knocked them out, one after the other.

When the lights turned on again, Eliot was the only one left standing. The weasel Mr. Avian had somehow escaped. Eliot helped Nate and Sophie up and untied them.

"We have to move," Nate announced as he threw the remnants of duck tape to the ground. "They already set the explosion into motion. Destroying each section like a domino, to make it look like a catalyst reaction. It's only a matter of time before it reaches here."

Hardison's voice was desperate, "You have to get out fast. Avian managed to set the plant on automatic lock down. Those doors are on a closed circuit and I can't hack them. I won't be able to keep them from closing and once they lock, they won't open again." Everyone raced to the closest door, cursing when it was already shut.

Parker soon joined them, being locked out of her escape route as well. One by one the doors shut in rapid succession. Eliot tried to not let panic overwhelm him. They would keep trying, they would get out. The last door at the end of the stainless steal hallway started to close and Eliot sprinted towards it. He dove and slid across the floor, trying to wedge at least his legs in the door in order to keep it from shutting. But he knew before it reached it, it was going to be too late. The door would close and they would be stuck in this building, right before it blew up.

Then suddenly something fell through the door, a metal beam landed with a hard clang. It was enough to stop the door from closing and to keep it from bolting. Then there was Keely, shoving the door open with her shoulder with all of her might, assisting the beam to keep it as wide as possible.

They were all so shocked upon seeing her, they stood frozen in gaped astonishment. Keely finally had to yell at them to bring them back to reality, "Move it! Now!" Not taking the chance to wait anymore, they pushed themselves through the small opening and ran for the exit. Eliot grabbed hold of Keely's hand and pulled her to keep pace with him.

They sprinted out of the plant and dove into the van. They drove only minutes, before everything shook and a deafening roar rose as everything behind them erupted like a volcano. They whooped with glee at their timely escape and their survival, checking each other that they were truly alright. Then slowly, one by one, they grew quiet and looked towards Keely.

She was looking at her toes and twisting her hands in her nervous habit. "Umm, yeah…" she grumbled amongst their accusatory glares.

* * *

Keely sat in the metal chair, surrounded by five of the most talented, fearsome and imposing people on earth. She wasn't tied up or anything yet, but judging by their suspicious expressions, she might as well be. She took another deep sighing breath, "I told you. My name is Keely Thomas. I'm 27 years old. I was only an elementary school teacher before this whole mess. I have no ties with the government or the CIA or anything. I'm just an average person."

Sophie strutted around her, "A normal person wouldn't have been able to figure out what you did. How did you know when and where we were going to come out of that building?"

Keely shrugged, her voice was barely a chirp, "I followed you?"

Eliot growled and leaned in closer so that he was practically nose to nose to her, "And how did that knife end up in my bag? Needed a toothbrush did you?" Keely only bit her lip, which meant she had an answer, but didn't want to say it.

Parker slammed her hands on both arms of her chair, caging her in. "And you're the one that stole my tools!" Her hand dove into Keely's pocket and unearthed them, "Ah ha!" She held them up triumphantly.

Keely slumped in her chair, "I was planning on giving them back."

Parker pointed a shaking finger at her, "You know what you are… you're a… you're a…"

"Our lifesaver."

Everyone turned to face Nate.

"Doesn't everyone get that? Stealing from Parker, stashing the knife, keeping our escape route open... It was all to save us. Without her help, we would be dead." Everyone stood in silence because they knew it was true.

Nate crouched in front of her, like a dad coaching their kid, "And for that Keely Thomas, you have my gratitude. I know you're not against us, but I also know you haven't been completely truthful with us. You know exactly why those men were after you, don't you?"

Keely was biting her lip again, her eyes red and wet. Nate nodded at her, "I think it's time we heard the whole truth now." She looked up at him with her eyes growing glossier, as if pleading him to not make her tell. It didn't work, so she sighed and gave up. She spoke around the knot in her throat.

"You know that game where you guess the amount of candy in the jar?" Everyone looked at each other in confusion, but Parker clapped and jumped in agreement. Keely smiled slightly, "I have never lost that game… ever. I've guessed it exactly right every single time. Stuff like that happened to me all the time growing up and I just thought I was lucky or had great intuition or something. Probably just like you guys, being able to figure out a lot of things from small details. I never really thought anything of it, until I turned 17.

I had a horrible nightmare about my cousin getting in car crash. It was so vivid and upsetting, I even told my parents about it. I saw where it would be, how it would happen, when it would happen. But it was just a dream right? Everyone has dreams like that. How could I have known?" She took a deep shaking breath.

"My aunt called that night. My cousin had died in a car crash, exactly how and when and where I saw it. I still remember how my mother turned to look at me when she received that phone call. She backed away from me and looked terrified, as if I were some monster. We never spoke of it again, we never told anyone that I knew about it before it happened, but from that day on, I knew it wasn't normal.

I don't know how they figured it out, but they found out what I could do and then found me. One day, while I was driving home, I had a vision. Not a dream, not my imagination. A real, honest to God… vision. I saw men coming to find me and take me away. It was so incredibly real that it scared me. I pulled over and didn't go home. I drove away to a place I had never been. For weeks, I just kept moving, always seeing images of them chasing me over and over.

Once, I doubted myself. I convinced myself that I was being paranoid and stopped running. They almost immediately found me and took me to an underground facility, and they…."

She choked, "they hurt me and did all these tests on me like I was a God damned guinea pig. I got out. I don't know how I got out, but somehow I woke up on the sidewalk in a hospital gown, having no clue how I got there.

I never doubted my instincts again and I have been running ever since."

"That's why they want me," she whispered.

"They think I belong to them. They want me because I know things no normal person should know."


	5. Chapter 5

Keely's grand revelation was met with silence. She glanced up at their expressions, which were a mixture of suspicious and pity. _Fantastic_. They couldn't decide whether she was lying or just plain crazy. None of them actually believed her. Well almost none of them.

Parker flew across the room and dove behind the kitchen counter in the opposite corner. She peeked over the edge of the counter and pointed an accusatory finger at Keely as if she were a witch. "You stay far away from me!"

Keely sighed as Hardison started to chuckle. "Relax Parker, there is no such thing as psychics, remember. They are all just…" He faded off at Keely's poignant stare.

She threw up her hands in exasperation, "Fine then. _You_ all tell me how was I able to do it. How did I know you were in danger, know that taking Parker's tools would keep her away from the explosion and that giving Eliot a knife would stop the shooter and the exact door that needed to stay open for all of you to escape? Huh? How?"

Nate sat down in front of her, "Well it's been known that some geniuses are able to absorb an infinite amount of information from small details. They are also able to look at patterns throughout history and develop predictable patterns of behavior. Essentially being able to predict effect for every cause within society. Then by using systematic behavioral patterns and attention to detail, they can predict what almost astounding accuracy what will happen next and therefore seem as if they could see the future."

"That…" Keely mumbled,

"…is actually a pretty good suggestion." She gestured to herself, "But honestly do I look like an off the charts genius to you?"

Eliot shrugged, "Appearances can be deceptive. Look at Hardison. He seems like an absolute idiot." Hardison, who was working on the computer, distractedly nodded until the insult finally seeped in, "Hey!"

Keely rubbed her brow, feeling the warning signs of a migraine start. Eliot reached out and took hold of her arm, "Why don't you go upstairs and get some rest. You've had a rough past couple of days." Keely frowned at him. He may seem gentlemanly and considerate, but she knew he was just trying to push her out of the room so they could talk about what to do with her in private.

But she quietly let herself be led upstairs, with a pat on her head like a child being put to bed and the door closed between them.

Downstairs Parker was having a fit. "I don't like it. What if she reads our minds?" She covered her ears to protect her thoughts from an invasion. Sophie sighed, "She's not a real psychic Parker. She's just a very talented and confused girl." She tapped her finger against her bottom lip, "She would be a brilliant grifter with that ability." Nate paced the room, "Oh course she's skilled. No one is arguing that. The question is, will she be dangerous to us?"

Eliot shot up, "What are you saying? We should just abandon her? How can you say that? People are still after her."

"I'm not saying that Eliot. But she knows too much about us and she's unstable. My first priority is keeping this team safe. Before helping any client, that comes first."

"Umm guys," Hardison interjection went ignored by Nate and Eliot.

"We risk our lives everyday to help people. How is this any different?"

"Guys, I really think…" Hardison tried again.

"It's different because she's too close. We've always kept a distance from our clients and we don't know her or what she is capable of."

"Are we forgetting the fact she just saved all of our lives? Whatever she is, she's not a threat."

"She's also unbalanced!"

"Guys!" Hardison shouted, finally fed up.

Everyone froze and turned towards him. He shook his head, "I found something. I used the code frequency that they are using to search for Keely to find out more information about them. I tapped into some of their video feeds and found some of their footage on Keely." He said sadly, "Maybe she has a reason to be unbalanced."

He clicked the remote and an image came onto the screen. It looked like a cross between a police interrogation room and a doctor's office. In the center of the room was an enormous metal chair and strapped to the chair, wearing a hospital gown, was Keely. She had wires and needles sticking out of her everywhere. A helmet with numerous beeping sensors was crowning her head. Wide metal bands were across her arms and legs, keeping her bound to the chair. There was blood dripping from them from them, showing she had obviously been fighting them.

Then the video started. People in white lab coats, attaching more sensors and wires to her and periodically checking the screens, not showing the slightest bit of hesitation or remorse because of Keely's struggles and anguished calls.

A controlled voice came over the video, "Subject 22 who previously demonstrated the highest level of PA pre-tests, has continued to not demonstrate the level of her actual potential. Trial 15 will consist of increased stimulus to initiate her survival instincts to access higher PA levels to stop the stimulus."

Then the lab coated ghosts backed away, leaving Keely pulling at her restraints, struggling and sobbing. Then there was an electric zing and her body instantly bowed and contorted in pain, her inhuman scream echoed through the whole room.

Sophie gasped and clutched Nate's sleeve. Parker had buried her face in Hardison's shoulder. But Eliot watched frozen. He never looked away, even when they hurt her over and over, yelling at her to do something and then the pain would stop. He wanted to remember this. He wanted to remember their faces, their voices, every detail about them. And when he found them, he would make them sorry they ever set eyes on this girl.

They only stopped whatever it was they were doing to her only momentarily, leaving her heaving and whimpering. Then a man approached her, the only person in an all black suit, rather than the lab coat. He roughly grabbed her chin, making her eyes meet his. She glared up at him with searing hatred. He leaned down and whispered in her ear something too soft to be heard over the audio. Whatever it was, it made Keely's watery eyes glow red hot with further rage. Even with her shaking and heaving chest, she spit at him angrily and growled, "Screw you!"

He discreetly took out a handkerchief from his front pocket and wiped his brow. He turned, giving the crew the first glimpse of his face. As he walked away from her he ordered, "Do it till she breaks."

Once again Keely was contorted in agonizing pain. Her release from it finally came when she fainted. They unhooked her and dragged her limp body out of the room, the blood from her wrists and ankles leaving a stain across the floor. "Switch it off," Nate whispered.

They said nothing. The silence was only broken by Sophie's tears. Eliot only turned to Nathan. "We're not leaving her to this hell." Nate sat, looking down at his interlaced fingers. "No we're not," he agreed.

Eliot took a moment at the top of the stairs to gather himself before he entered the room. The horrific image of what they had done to Keely was burned in his brain. How had she done it? How had she gone through all that and still remained so normal? Not only that, she still somehow retained a naïve and almost childlike innocence. He had to shake it off and at least act semi-normal around her. They didn't want to tell her what they had seen.

He turned the handle, pushed the door in and began yelling at her.

"Are you seriously trying to run away again?" Keely froze with one foot out of the window. She looked as guilty as a child with their hand stuck in the cookie jar. _Oh cheeseballs. When would her visions ever work when she wanted them to, like letting her know oh... hmm… Eliot Spencer was just about to walk in! _Her eyes darted around the room, unable to meet his. "Nooo."

Elliot just frowned down at her with crossed arms, breaking her instantly. "Ok fine, I was, but I tried to warn you and you won't even believe anything I said! These guys are not your normal crooks ok. Even being able to know when they are coming, they always find me. The only way I've stayed out of their reach for so long is because I never stop moving. If I stay here, they will find me, and then find you all. Then you and your group and all the good you do will be ruined. I can't be responsible for that. I just can't."

Keely breathed heavily from her tirade. She took a deep breathe, "So as much as I appreciate your concern… I'll have to be going now."

"No."

"No?"

"No."

Keely's brow crinkled as she studied Eliot's immobile and nonnegotiable stance. Then she bolted. _It was dumb. She knew before she tried it. It was dumb. In what universe would she ever be able to outmaneuver Eliot Spencer? She just forgot out darn fast he was! _

He had grabbed a hold of her, before her second foot even cleared the window frame. In one fell swoop he lifted her up and threw her over his shoulder like a sack of oats. She yelled and pounded on his back, for all the good that did her. "Eliot Spencer, you put me down right now!" Even her sternest teacher voice wasn't working. "I'm a grown woman. You can't treat me like this. I have the right to make decisions for myself. Are you listening?"

He didn't even flinch as he carried her downstairs, amongst everyone's shocked and curious stares. Panicked, Keely reached out to maybe her only ally, "Parker! Parker come on, you want me to leave don't you? I could read your thoughts and work voodoo magic on you. You don't want that. Get them to let me go and you'll never have to see me again!"

Keely didn't know whether to be pleased or disappointed when Parker refused to help her escape with an exuberant head shake.

Eliot calmly ignored her shouting and struggling as he continued to carry her out the door. "Bye, guys. See you later." Everyone waved at them robotically.

When they got to the street, Keely slumped in defeat and covered her face with her hands. "How humiliating," she grumbled from her precarious perch on Eliot's shoulder.


	6. Chapter 6

"Stop scowling." Eliot dropped the plate in front of Keely with a clang. She turned to face him. Her body was slumped in her chair with crossed arms and a charming furrowed brow with pouting lips. "No matter what sour faces you make, I'm not letting you leave." Keely grumbled, "This is imprisonment." "This is also for you own good. Now eat." He gestured to her plate with his spatula.

Keely tried her best to appear disinterested, but against her will, found herself glancing down at her plate. The enticing scents were too much to bear. He had made Italian tonight with pesto chicken, garlic green beans and caprese salad. She glanced back up at him with intense irritation. How dare he give her a plate with such glorious cuisine, when he knew very well she wanted to stay resolutely rebellious towards him. It was practically pure torture resisting his finely crafted cooking.

With a deep sigh, she took the fork and took a big bite, "You're not playing fair." Eliot just grinned at her, unreasonably pleased to see her eating and enjoying the food that he made.

Eliot's food was pure ecstasy. Each bite was such bliss that it hampered her ability to make smart decisions. Between bites and groans of pleasure she announced, "Glad to know you learned something from your home ec teacher, other than the female anatomy."

Eliot turned, "What?"

Keely froze with huge eyes and her cheeks full of food like a bunny rabbit. _Oh good gravy. She hadn't meant to say that. Telling them about her ability to know the future was one thing, but she was seriously going to freak them out if she let them know how much exactly she knew about them._

She chewed carefully, "Huh?"

"What did you say?"

"What do you mean?"

"You just said something."

She took a sip of her drink, her round eyes looking up at him over the rim of the cup.

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

Eliot marched towards her, gesturing meaningfully with the spatula again, "You just mentioned my home ec teacher. How did you know about that?"

Keely grinned and placed her chin on her folded hands, "You took home ec? That's so interesting!"

Eliot was now yelling, reaching the breaking point of his patience. "You… you just said it!"

Keely shook her head at him and clucked her tongue. "Eliot we've had a really long and difficult day. Our minds are playing tricks on us and I think we could use some rest."

Eliot growled with exasperation, throwing up his hands and stomping away. Keely used the opportunity to bang her fist against her forehead. _Idiot! Idiot! Idiot! She couldn't keep making slip ups like that. Just shut up Keely!_

When it was time for bed again, they both looked at Keely's clothes, which were once again completely filthy from her adventure earlier. Eliot lent her more of his clothes. When she emerged in his t-shirt and shorts that could barely be seen under the large shirt, Eliot rubbed his temples and knew he had to get the girl clothes of her own tomorrow. Seeing her in his clothes every night was messing with his mind.

She clasped her hands behind her back, looking up at him through her eyelashes, seeming unbearably vulnerable and sweet. She gave him one last pleading look. "Please Eliot. I would just die if something happened to you." Eliot's breath caught for a moment. She didn't mean it the way it came across. She felt guilty for endangering the team. He knew that, but for a moment it did make his heart skip. Women wanted him, adored him… yes. But worry about him…

Never

Seeing her in that moment, he saw a flash of what those monsters had done to her. His eyes subconsciously glanced down to her wrists. There was still very feint scars left. Most untrained eyes wouldn't be able to notice them at all. He wondered once again how she was able to escape and how she had avoided being captured again for so long?

He shook his head at her and pointed to her bedroom, "Up." Keely deflated dejectedly and schlepped her way up stairs. She seemed defeated, but Eliot knew better.

* * *

Keely tiptoed down the stairs, peering carefully over the banister. For some reason she had mental block when it came to where Eliot was or what he was up to, hence why he repeatedly was able to sneak up on her.

She glanced around the dark room, but saw no sign of Eliot. Finally, she could leave. Her small sense of triumph was severely diminished by disappointment. It was the first time she had told anyone about her abilities or her dark secrets. She thought out of anyone, maybe they would be able to understand. For the first time in so long, she felt a sense of companionship and security with them. Having Eliot make her delicious meals. Sleeping in the same bed night after night. Having people to talk to and care about her. It was almost like a real normal life here.

She quickly emerged from her daydreams, knowing she was being selfish. Staying would not only hurt them, but also jeopardize all the good they do and the people they help. No, leaving would be the best thing for everyone. She continued sneaking down the stairs, tiptoed across the floor and reached for the door handle.

A voice called out from the coach, where Eliot was obscured by the darkness and laying in wait. "I can see you Keely. Go back to bed." Keely's head dropped, "Fudgesicles." She grumbled grade school curses under her breath and shuffled back to the bedroom. Elliot was pretty sure he heard her call him a "creepy sleepless robot," which just made him grin.


	7. Chapter 7

"Eliot, this is very, very bad idea. Do you know how many cameras there are in a mall?" Eliot looked down at Keely ducking down in her car seat, completely obscured by the baseball hat, sunglasses, and a scarf. He whipped the scarf and sunglasses off her, ignoring her protests. He gently took hold of her chin, "Hey, trust me. It'll be fine." Keely's brow remained furrowed at him suspiciously.

Hardison's voice filled with injustice came over the earbud, "Trust you? You? I'm the one that created the software to keep her face from being recognized." Back in the office, he nudged Parker. "Check this out. I hacked into every camera in the mall and interrupted the frequency so that whenever they see Keely's face they will see a different face instead. Whoever is looking for Keely will never get a match." He turned to see Parker occupied with blowing bubbles with her gum. "Hey! This is groundbreaking stuff here people!" He crossed his arms and scowled, "No one appreciates the work I do."

Sophie popped up from the backseat of Eliot's car with such gusto she made both Eliot and Keely start with surprise. She shook both their shoulders, "Come on. Let's get a move on. Shopping time is wasting!" Eliot groaned, "Remind me why you had to come again."

Sophie frowned at him. "Really Eliot, who is going to help this poor girl pick out a decent outfit to wear. You? She'll come back looking like a stripper." "Hey, I know women's clothes." He winked at Keely, "I've dated models." Keely and Sophie rolled their eyes and got out of the car.

When Keely walked through the revolving doors, it took all of her effort to ignore her instincts and not hide to avoid the cameras. "Trust me," Eliot had said. What else could she do? She stopped for a moment, trying to make her mind go blank, to feel for anything. It didn't really work that way. She either got a strong feeling or a vision that was akin to getting run over by a semi. It also always struck her when she least expected it, but she thought she should at least try. So far, besides a general sense of wariness, she couldn't _see_ any danger.

Sophie was beyond thrilled. She took hold of Keely's arm, dragging her from store to store, tossing her in dressing rooms, and burying her in clothes. Keely held up a designer dress self-consciously. "I don't know Sophie. This isn't really me. I'm more of a Target girl." Sophie shushed and waved a hand at her, "Don't be silly. You'll look amazing." Keely raised a brow at her skeptically, until she happened to see the price tag. "Sophie!" "Hmm." "This dress would cost me two months rent! I can't wear this, let alone afford it." As of now, Keely couldn't even buy a scrap of fabric.

Sophie promptly ignored her as she continued holding up outfits to her, like she was dressing a doll. Eliot stayed away from the shopping scene, but stood outside every store door, keeping watch. Seeing him stand there so protectively, Keely couldn't help the warm fuzzy feeling it gave her. Sophie turned to see Keely smiling dreamily in Eliot's direction and bit her lip with worry.

"Wow! Look at that!" They had stopped for a moment to sit at the food court tables. Eliot had been chasing them around with a mountain of Sophie's shopping bags and he wasn't happy about it. She had ended up buying more for herself than Keely. They had barely sat before Keely took off across the food court and stood gazing up at a giant aquarium tank. Nearly 15 feet tall and 30 feet wide, it held some of the largest fish she had ever seen. Keely gazed up at it, like a child in rapture. A worker passed by, chuckling at her expression. "Better enjoy it now. We're taking it back today." Keely blinked at him, "Back?" "Yeah, it was only on loan to the mall. We're packing it up and driving it back to the Aquarium."

Keely looked back up at the fish, her hands pressed against the glass. As she watched the swimming forms, her eyes glazed over and she suddenly jerked away. She moved so quickly, she knocked into the worker, pushing him back until he slammed into the lid of the aquarium they had previously removed to feed the fish. "Hey watch it there, little lady." Keely apologized as she returned to Sophie and Eliot. No one saw the steadily growing crack in the lid, the collision had caused.

Sophie checked off items on her list, "Let's see, we have casual wear, luncheon wear and sleep wear. We just need to get some evening wear and…" Eliot groaned and covered his face with his hands. Keely placed her hand over the list, "Sophie, what exactly do you think I'll be doing? My life basically consists of running and hiding in dark corners. Other than running shoes and sweats, I don't need anything else." Sophie patted her hand and then removed it, "Sweetheart, whatever you are going through, you're still a woman and all women deserve to feel beautiful." Keely's sputtering protests were all mercilessly hushed.

Sophie took hold of her hand and dragged her to the next store. "Here's something everyone needs." Keely glanced up to the Victoria Secret sign and then her gaze shot over to Eliot, who was rubbing his hands together diabolically. Keely abruptly turned such an alarming shade of white and seemed so panic-stricken that Sophie took mercy on her.

Sophie wrapped an arm around her and led her in the store. "Eliot why don't you sit out of this one? I doubt any one dangerous will be in here." "What?" "Look there's a fishing store. Go check that out. We'll meet you there later." She shooed him away with a meaningful glance. Eliot grumbled, but did what she said. He wondered what it was about Sophie that made it as impossible to disobey her as his own mother.

Keely stood slightly overwhelmed, as Sophie pushed one frilly undergarment combo into her arms after another. She was so relieved Eliot wasn't around to witness this. Yet seeing Sophie take charge of her shopping experience with that innate maternal quality, made Keely smile. It was nice being taken care of, despite the feeling of being strapped and dragged behind a racing stallion.

The sensation of warmth was unexpectedly doused by ice cold dread. Her head spun around the store. Zeroing in on one customer after another. Customers who appeared to be shopping, but Keely knew differently. Sophie was still chatting and shopping away excitedly. "Umm Sophie?" Keely gulped, "You didn't happen to con a Spanish drug lord at some point? Did you?" Sophie held up a bra to examine it. "Well yeah, but that was years ago. I convinced them I was royalty from…" Keely elbowed her as she watched the men slowly make their way around them. "Well I think he still holds a grudge because I don't think they are here for the 2 for 1 underwear sale." Before Sophie could even glance up to take note of her pursuers, Keely had knocked over one of the model displays, grabbed Sophie's hand and took off.

Sophie had seen enough of the men stumbling over the displays to chase them to know they were in serious trouble. They sprinted down the walkway, weaving through the crowd. "Keely, we have to get Eliot!" Keely shook her head, "There's too many of them and they have guns. We can't fight them." Sophie felt Keely involuntarily squeeze her hand. "They have the whole mall surrounded and are blocking all of the exits. We have to find another way out."

Sophie went ashen, but didn't have long to digest it before Keely pulled her away again. The men were still running after them and seemed to be coming from every direction. "We need to get upstairs," Keely shouted between panting breaths. As they ran across the center of the mall, Keely suddenly veered and ducked. To Sophie's shock she reached out to a random stereo someone was holding and pressed play. Before the startled man could stop the music, people all around them were already spinning and dancing to "Please Don't Stop the Music." A few of the men were smacked in the face as they were caught by an exuberant spin or dramatic elbow thrust.

Sophie was so taken aback, if it wasn't for Keely pulling her, she would have stopped dead in her tracks. "A flash mob? How did you…" "Don't stop moving," Keely yelled as they poured on the speed. They burst through an "employees only" entrance and Keely expertly maneuvered them through the complicated doors and corridors until they finally came to a door with a code lock. Keely punched the correct code in on her first guess, as if she had known it her whole life.

Sophie could barely breath from running so hard. "How are you doing this?" Keely smiled at her, "I told you before, running is what I do best." The lock slid open with a satisfying click and they ran through.

They ran up the 5 flights of stairs and came to a balcony over looking the street. Sophie felt her heart in her throat when they heard shouts and chasing steps behind them. They were trapped. There was no other way to get out. Keely took her shoulders and turned her body to face her. "We have to jump." Sophie looked down terrified at the 6-story drop to nothing, but asphalt. "Are you crazy? We'll be killed! No, we'll get captured and Nate will find a way to get us out."

Keely shook her, "Sophie! They don't want to capture you. They'll kill you before the team gets to us. You have to trust me. We have to jump." Sophie looked down again, more terrified than she could remember, "I can't." Keely suddenly wrapped her in a fierce embrace, Sophie thought was meant to comfort her. Then Keely mumbled, "sorry about this." She kicked off the wall as hard she could, pushing both herself and Sophie over the balcony edge and hurtling down towards the ground.

Sophie felt the sickening dread of imminent death approaching. Both she and Keely clung to each other. Yet when she felt contact with the ground, it gave way to their weight. Suddenly she was immersed in… water! They both swam to the surface, gulping for air. Sophie was so confused, she couldn't figure out where they were. But wait, they were moving.

Then she realized, it was the tank from the mall. It had been attached to wheels and was being driven through the streets. The crack in the lid to the tank had easily snapped when they had fallen on it. Treading water, she stared at Keely who was doing the same and didn't seem nearly as surprised by the situation as Sophie was. "You knew this would be here at that exact time, didn't you? That's why you knew it was safe to jump." Keely said nothing, but only looked at her. Sophie studied her for a long moment and said, "You were telling the truth, weren't you? About everything?" Keely nodded slowly, "Yeah, yeah I was."


	8. Chapter 8

Keely tried to reach for the peanut butter on the top shelf, which wasn't easy with her arm in a sling. Her previous shoulder and rib injuries in conjunction with crashing through the tank lid had done her in. Eliot had insisted she wear it and not use her arm for a few weeks or else permanent damage might be done to it.

A hand reached up and over hers to easily grab it. She turned to see Hardison opening the jar and handing her the peanut butter with a charming smile and a wink. "Be careful. Eliot will probably kill you if you get hurt again." Keely grinned back, "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

As Keely spread the peanut butter on her bread, she looked up to see Sophie watching her. She had been doing a lot of that over the last week. Sophie and Keely decided to downplay what Keely had been able to do at the mall. They had told everyone it was mostly luck and that they had seen the aquarium tank being driven out of the loading docks before they had jumped. Although Sophie now believed what she said about her psychic abilities was true, she insisted that the others needed to come to believe it on their own as well. It was something too outstanding and implausible for mere words and stories to convince them. They needed to experience it personally themselves.

Keely didn't mind at all. It was enough for one person to believe her and quite frankly didn't want to jeopardize the easy and warm kinship blossoming between her and the rest of the team. She doubted everyone would adapt to it, as well as, the mature and understanding Sophie had.

Even so, Keely felt a bit like a circus act, being watched to see what amazing thing she would do next. So far the show couldn't be too good. She could barely make a sandwich and she hadn't had any visions or premonitions since the mall.

Hardison hadn't been kidding about Eliot's furious reaction to seeing Keely pull Sophie through the mall, while being chased by hooligans. While he tried fight as many of the men as he could, he lost track of their escape and was livid when they eventually found them and had to fish them out of a giant tank.

As soon as he pulled Keely up, he started shaking her like a rag doll. "What were you thinking? Why did you think I went with you? To go shopping?" Keely hissed in pain and nearly collapsed in his tight grip. With his eyes widening, he pulled up her clothes. Keely was in too much pain at the moment to even be embarrassed. Eliot's eye sympathetically gazed over the fresh wounds now mixed with the old ones.

Nate was pulling Sophie up, but besides general stiffness she was fine. While holding onto Sophie, Keely must have taken the brunt of the blow crashing through the tank lid. Her previously bruised ribs were now fractured and her shoulder was a mess. Feeling guilty for grabbing her, Eliot gingerly wrapped his coat around her. "Why didn't you come to me or at least cry out for help?"

Keely looked up at him, thinking three bullet shots to his chest was why she hadn't gone to him. But she couldn't tell him that so she just shrugged. "I panicked and just ran." Eliot turned to Sophie, "And what about you, huh?" Sophie's eyes grew big as she glanced back and forth between Eliot and Keely. "Umm." "I really didn't give her a choice," Keely stammered. "I dragged her along with me before she could refuse." Sophie frowned, but kept her lips in a tight line.

In the two weeks following, the team had forced Keely to be extremely careful and cautious, so that her injuries could heal. In Keely's opinion, Eliot was going slightly overboard.

At least she hadn't been lonely. Keely had now settled into an easy routine. She continued to stay over at Eliot's at night and spent the days at Nate's place or headquarters, as she knew the team referred to it. Throughout her stay, different members of the team had been popping in and out of headquarters to keep her company or more accurately babysit her.

Keely slowly spread her peanut butter on the next slice of bread as she watched Hardison and Sophie discreetly at work. She knew the team was busy with finding the people who had come after Sophie and making very sure they wouldn't be able hurt her again. Keely had pretty good idea of what they were up to, but since she didn't sense any danger she decided not to interfere and let them do what they did best.

She took the two plates of sandwiches and walked to the closet door. She knocked cheerily and then opened it to reveal Parker hunched in the corner of the closet and wearing a tinfoil hat. She hissed at Keely like an annoyed cat, when she saw the identity of the intruder. Keely smiled and bent down in front of her and pushed the sandwich towards Parker. "Peanut butter and banana, no crust."

Parker only blinked at her. It was her favorite sandwich as a child. The one a nice older foster child had made for her in one of the homes they had stayed in. It was one of the very few decent places she had ever stayed and even one of the fewer pleasurable childhood memories.

But she didn't trust Keely and pushed her tinfoil hat further down on her head. "Look Parker, I know… I heard what happened to you with that fake psychic. How he used pain of your past to prove a point? I'm not like that. I would never hurt you or anyone like that." Keely sighed at Parker's continued suspicious glare. "It's like this, you have God-given gifts right? You are one of the best thieves in the world and if you really wanted to, you could do truly terrible things; even worse things than stealing jewels or paintings. But instead, you are using it to help those who can't help themselves."

She thumped her own chest ardently, "That's what I'm choosing to do. Yeah, I can use it to hurt or embarrass others, but instead I want to only to help others. I'm a good guy!" She leaned in and whispered, "And I am the absolute best secret keeper." She saluted like a boy scout, "Whatever you don't want them to know about you, I promise they won't hear it from me."

As Keely's grin grew, Parker's lips twitched and then suddenly she snatched up the sandwich and took a big bite, speaking with a full mouth. "Well, I guess you can be useful to have around sometimes. You did save Sophie."

Keely covered her mouth to hide her laugh. Everyone thought Parker was so clueless, but in reality she had been able to figure out what a technological genius, a strategic mastermind and special ops expert hadn't. She cleared her throat. "Well, I do kind of owe you guys, already." She grinned and began eating her sandwich as well and slowly Parker seemed to thaw towards her and even removed the tinfoil hat.

Eliot returned later that night to find Keely, Parker and Hardison involved in a riveting game of Monopoly. Eliot shook his head at their behavior. From the way they were whooping and hollering when someone landed on their property or picked up a "Get out of Jail Free" card, you would have thought their real horse had won the derby, rather than just their little silver game pieces passing "Go."

He had to fight off nearly an army of guards today and was now suffering the repercussion of it. He couldn't wait to just be home and soak in something hot. He would have gone straight there, if he hadn't had to come pick up Keely first. Hardison had offered to drive her home, but Eliot didn't like the idea of her being out of headquarters without him. According to Hardison, they were still searching vigorously for her and with her already injured and incapacitated, he didn't want to take chances.

"As fun as I'm sure the peanut gallery is having, we need to go Keely." Everyone moaned and groaned with disappointment, but Keely reassured them they could finish it tomorrow.

On the drive, Eliot glanced over at Keely, "Why are you smiling like that?" Keely shrugged, but her dreamy smile didn't fade. "I don't know, cause I'm happy, I guess." Eliot was taken aback. "Happy?" "Yeah, I had fun today." "Just playing Monopoly?" "Hey Monopoly is awesome and it _was_ fun. I can't even remember the last time I had fun." She grew quiet and solemn for a moment. "Actually, I remember the exact time, I last had fun. It was the night before they started chasing me. My friend had birthday party at the beach. We spent all day in the ocean and at night had a huge bonfire and roasted marshmallows. A cute guy I liked even asked me out."

She winced comically and laughed, "God, I hope he didn't take it personally when I didn't show up at our date." Eliot didn't join her in her laughter, because he knew she was just trying to hide her grief underneath it. Instead he just patted her hand. "Ok darling, what game should we get for tomorrow?" Keely bounced in her seat excitedly, "Will you teach me poker? I've always wanted to learn. Oh and Clue is a great one, and…" Eliot groaned as she rattled on, but at least it was distracting her from the past life she had lost.

As Eliot unlocked his doors and disabled his alarms, he glanced back at Keely who appeared only to be daydreaming as she rocked back on her heels and glanced at everything around her. He just shook his head and grumbled, "I should probably get you keys too." Her brow furrowed, "Why? I'm never here without you?" The door swung open and held it open for her, "Yeah, but if something happened, you would need a safe place you could hideout."

Keely shrugged and walked through, "If you really think so." She immediately went to the fridge and pulled out a pre-made bag of ice. Eliot blinked at her, "What's that?" "Ice. I put them together last night." She walked over and placed it on his left shoulder joint. "It was a rough day huh?"

Eliot was so taken aback; he nearly dropped the ice when she let go of it. He knew he was very good at hiding when things hurt. How had she figured it out without any hesitation the area in particular that was the most painful?

Keely started laughing and pointed at his shoulder and her sling. "Look at us. We're a mess!" Eliot couldn't help but return her infectious smile, pulling him out of his suspicion. She continued chuckling as she went over to the stove and lit it. But she struggled as she tried in vain to pry the lid of the kettle off with one hand.

Eliot groaned, "What are you doing?" Keely huffed with frustration, "I'm trying to make tea for us, but it's not going very well." He rolled his eyes as he put down the ice and reached around her for the tea kettle, "What part of 'take it easy' is so difficult for you to understand?" She turned around to scowl at him, "I'm making tea, not rock climbing."

Eliot filled the kettle with water and turned back to see Keely testing her arm in the sling, "When can I get rid of this thing anyway? It's driving me crazy!" He sighed with exasperation, "Fine, I'll take a look at it." He gently removed the sling and reached under her sweater to gently probe her injured shoulder and ribs.

Keely froze completely stiff at his touch. She hated when he did that. It made her want to wriggle and blush like a schoolgirl. While she was dying from embarrassment at her reaction to him, he seemed to think nothing of it at all. Why should he? He had probably examined for female bodies than a doctor!

Eliot glanced up to see those honey eyes darkened with irritation at him. He wished he knew what she was thinking when she looked at him with that expression. He slowly lowered the sweater as if dealing with a skittish animal. "A couple more days to be safe, but it's healing well. After that you should be fine again." Keely sighed with relief. "Thank goodness. I couldn't take much more of this helpless immobility."

As Eliot sat drinking tea with Keely at the kitchen counter, nursing their respective injuries and discussing their day, he realized how positively… domestic this felt. Something he thought he would never feel again since he left home years ago. Something he had only somewhat regained by being a part of Nate's team. It found it not as inconvenient or displeasing as he expected it would be.


	9. Chapter 9

Keely's nodding head jerked upright to stay awake, the droning voice still lulling her to sleep. She couldn't remember being this bored since her Methods of Psychology class in college, when the professor was pushing 80, and his idea of an engaging class was reading aloud, word for word, his published works.

Eliot's voice rose an extra octave, wagging his finger at her like a nagging parent, "And finally never, _ever_ leave the van!" Keely groaned, "God you were a waste at the Green Berets. They should have made you a drill sergeant." Eliot glanced from the road for a moment to look at her, "How did you know I was in the military?"

Keely froze and her brows rose. There were two ways she could answer this question.

#1

_Actually I know a lot about you. I've been having vivid dreams about you and the rest of the crew for nearly a year. The first dream I had was about your first tour in Iraq. At first I thought it was a fluke and that you were all just characters I made up. It wasn't until I kept having dreams, revealing scenes in your lives over and over again, I realized that they were actually visions and you were probably real people I was going to meet someday _

#2

Keely shrugged, "I just assumed, I guess, with all of your fighting ability and the way you talk and everything."

She opted for #2.

After his continued lecture, Keely finally threw up her hands, "Fine, I got it, I got it. What do you think I'm going to do? Run in there waving my arms and screaming like a banshee?" Eliot's glimpsed at her and then his face grew tight and he turned to watch the road, his grip on the steering wheel tightening fractionally. "You can't try to run again Keely." Keely was only silent. "I mean it Keely! Don't you dare do it."

In that moment, Keely knew her previous attempts to run away wasn't doing the crew the favor she supposed. Judging from Eliot's strained body stance and nervous eyes, the fear of her trying to leave again was causing more harm, than the good of actually getting away.

Maybe it wouldn't turn out as badly as she had anticipated. It had been weeks now without a peep from the people chasing her or any warning premonitions. Hardison was very good at what he did and not having to worry about finding a job for food or shelter helped lessen her exposure. Perhaps staying with them would work out better than she supposed.

She placed a hand on Eliot's arm and squeezed it affectionately. "I won't run." He raised a brow at her. "I'm serious. You can trust me." She made an X over her heart. "Cross my heart and I never lie."

Eliot chuckled and shifted the gear so the engine purred and poured on more speed. "I will believe that. You're the worst liar I've ever seen."

"Hey I…" then she shrugged with agreement. She couldn't argue with the truth.

After burning Hardison's ear, with instruction for her, Keely was locked in the van with him and Eliot took off to do his job. Previously, they had been able to take turns watching her at headquarters, but apparently for this part of the con they needed everyone's involvement. Therefore, Keely had been allowed to tag along, only if she promised to stay in the van with Hardison and not get involved in any other way.

Keely studied Hardison and then the van and grinned. She couldn't help but play a little trick on him. It was the only joy her "gift" gave her. She patted the dashboard. "So this is the "the van" huh? She definitely has character. In fact, I would say she has a "Lucille" feel to her." She chuckled, "Sorry that's just ridiculous. I guess that name just popped in my head when I looked at her."

She turned to find Hardison nearly choking and gasping with euphoria. "They must have told you." Keely lifted her shoulders and shook her head, "No one told me a word. I swear. You can ask them. It was just a 'feeling.'" Hardison clapped his hands with a resounding approval and hummed, "See I told them. I told them Lucille was more than just a van. She has a personality. She has a soul. They can't argue with me now." Keely giggled at his new-found feeling of redemption. Sometimes she didn't completely hate her "gift."

Later as they surveyed monitors and monitored frequencies, Hardison seemed to forget her presence. Keely was pleased that they now seemed to trust her enough to speak openly in front of her. It all went smoothly and according to Nate's plan, as usual. Keely mostly stood in awe of their capabilities.

There was one moment when Eliot was fighting a group in the library and she had to speak up. She coughed loudly, "Gun in the bookshelf." Hardison didn't take note of her and so she coughed again with the same message. Hardison patted her on the back. "You need to get more Vitamin C. It sounds like you're coming down with something." Keely frowned at him and then pointed at the screen and say deliberately, "Gee Hardison, what is that weird shiny thing in the bookcase. Shouldn't we talk about it loudly over the coms?" Jerking to attention, Hardison warned Eliot seconds before the guard reached for the gun. Eliot had it out of their grip and dissembled before he could even pull back the trigger.

Keely sighed with satisfaction, the Spanish Drug Lord job had ended perfectly as planned with nearly no interference or intervention on her part. Keely's contentment was soon shattered by a staggering vision. Hardison was oblivious to her white knuckled grip on the chair arms or her panting breath or the way her eyes glossed over. When Keely emerged from the scene of her vision, she glanced at Hardison apprehensively. She had to get away from him.

Keely waited patiently, bidding her time. Waiting until everyone dropped their guard, euphoric and overconfident from their latest conquest. Slowly Keely crept away, searching frantically for Parker. She was the only person not present at their recent success celebration and the only person she needed at that moment.

Suddenly, Keely got a flash of a car. That car had to relate to Parker somehow. Keeping to the shadows, she crept in dark corners until she found the car she had seen in her visions.

She whispered hoarsely, "Parker?" She crouched, circling the car. No sign of Parker. "Parker?" she whispered again with more force. Keely grumbled as she looked at the car's keypad. _Maybe she could figure out the code? Maybe the answer to contacting Parker was inside? _As she leaned intently over the door, trying to glean the access code from her vision, Parker's face suddenly appeared through the window.

Keely screamed with surprise and fright, collapsing to the floor. "Jumping jellybeans! What in the name of Sam Hill are you doing in there Parker?" Parker shrugged and scrunched her nose. "I was taking a nap." "A nap? In a car? After a job? A few blocks down from a drug lord?" "Yeah, I was sleepy? Where am I supposed to sleep? The sidewalk?" "Right. No problem at all. I just need to talk to you. Open the door." Parker opened the door and Keely slid into the driver's seat.

Keely turned the key and started the engine, pealing out of the parking lot with a squeal. Parker was thrown backwards, "What are you doing?" Keely kept turning the wheel, leading them to the highway. "We have to go to New York. Josie needs us."

"Who?"

"Josie? Remember? The girl from Lefty's team on the hot car job?"

Parker stared at her blankly and Keely sighed. "The time you got to steal all of those police cars?" Parker laughed and clapped her on the shoulder. "Oh yeah! That was awesome. Wait, _that _Josie. What's wrong? What happened to her? Nate got her a job with good people. She should be okay now. Right? Everything should be okay?"

Keely shook her head, "No Parker, it's not okay. We have to help her. Now." Keely stepped onto the accelerator and sped down the highway.


	10. Chapter 10

"What happened to her? What's wrong?"

Keely shook her head, "I don't know all of the details, but I had a vision about her. Someone from her old gang found her and pulled her into a dangerous scam. They are making her work as one of the girls for a club, that caters the baddest of the bads in the city, but in reality they are making her spy and pickpocket them. They wine and dine them at the club and then use the information they find on them to make profits for themselves. Everything from mafia and money laundering to drugs and kidnapping. It is not only ruining the good life she has made for herself, but endangering it as well. "

Parker threw up her hands in the air. "What the hell is she thinking getting into this mess? We gave her a good life, a fresh start and now she just threw it back in our faces."

Keely shook her head, "I don't know for sure, but I got the impression from the scenes I saw, that it wasn't exactly her decision."

"Did they kidnap her? Blackmail her?"

"I don't know. We'll have to sneak in and find out and then get her out of there as quickly and quietly as possible."

Parker looked at the phone in her hands with a scowl. "Are you sure we shouldn't call the rest of the crew? Not even Hardison?"

Keely spun the wheel to switch lanes, "Well, so far only you and Sophie actually believe I'm psychic. How are you going to explain to them; we're driving across state lines, to a random dangerous club, to rescue a girl you haven't seen in over a year when they think I'm certifiably insane? Do you think they'll go for it?"

Parker shut her phone, "Good point."

"Look, once we get close enough that they won't be able to stop us, we'll call and let them know we're safe. Ok?" Her smile turned into a grumbling frown when she envisioned Eliot's reaction after receiving that phone call or the searing and berating lecture she knew would follow.

"Well my phone is almost dead anyway."

Keely glanced down and held up the phone charger. "Here use this?"

"That's not the right charger for my phone."

Keely chuckled. _Silly absent-minded Parker._ "Why do you keep a charger in your car that won't work for your phone?"

"Oh. This isn't my car."

If Keely wasn't speeding down the interstate, she would have slammed on the brakes and screeched the car to a halt. "What do you mean this isn't your car?!"

"Just what I said, it's not mine."

"Who… whose car is it?!" Parker just shrugged and Keely nearly exploded. "You mean to tell me, we stole this car!"

"Well, technically you stole it. I was just planning to sleep in it. You were the one who drove it out of the lot." Keely made an incoherent sound between a choke and hyperventilating gasp.

"I… I… never thought you'd break into someone else's car to sleep there! Why would you do that?!"

"I told you I was tired and the van is too noisy and smelly to get any peace and quiet." Keely banned her head against the steering wheel repeatedly and then blew her bangs out of her face with exasperation.

She held up a finger, "Look, since this is an emergency situation and _only _because we need to save Josie now, I can't turn back and return the car. But once we are done we are going are coming back immediately to make sure this car is returned to its rightful spot… and we'll have it washed… and we'll give it a full tank… and maybe we'll leave a box of doughnuts as well. Got it?!"

Parker shrugged, "Sure, but I don't know why you're getting mad at me. I didn't steal it." Keely let out a deep _deep_ breath. All the years of building her patience, by working with 10 year olds on a daily basis, were necessary now.

Parker chimed in, "Can I drive now?"

"Absolutely not." Keely answered speedily.

Parker slumped down in her seat and crossed her arms with a pout, like a child in a snit. "Why not?"

"I've seen 'Red Asphalt' and I would prefer not to be smeared across the road."

"Hey! I've never gotten in an accident and I could get us there quicker." Her frown deepened.

Keely patted her leg, "Tell you what. If we ever get in a situation where we are being chased by bad guys and need a getaway car. Then you can drive." Parker grinned, her mood suddenly improved. Keely smirked and shook her head. _Only Parker would think of endangering their lives for a car chase as an actual positive turn of events._

A few hours later, Keely pulled into a hidden alley behind the club. When one was psychic, traffic usually isn't a problem. The joke was _usually_ Keely could get lost in her own backyard. It was only because her psychic abilities had kicked in that she was able to find the unfamiliar place without any trouble.

Keely turned off the engine. "Alright, you're the expert. How do we get in Parker?"

Parker did a quick survey of the building. Keely could practically hear her brain clicking. "Through the front door," Parker announced. "As club hostesses, we'll have the most access to all areas of the club and have a better chance of finding Josie."

"That's fine Parker, but I don't think we'll pass like this." She gestured to her own comfy baggy jeans and tennis shoes.

Parker's lips curved maniacally "Leave it to me."

Parker returned to the car 15 minutes later with two glamorous, yet revealing dresses. "Do I even want to know where you got those?"

Parker shook her head, but her smile didn't fade. "Probably not."

"What about the shoes?'

"Oh yeah… forgot about that." Keely saw a couple of drunk girls stumbling out of the exit, wobbling on their uncomfortable feet.

Keely smiled, "Wait I have an idea." She slipped off her sneaker and held it up tantalizingly, "Hey girls, want to trade?" The girls eyed her sneaker with the envy of an Atkins dieter drooling over chocolate cake. _Bingo _thought Keely.

"I don't know Parker. Maybe I should wait and guard the car. I'm not cut out for this one." Parker whipped around to see Keely emerged from the bathroom stall, tugging on the bottom of her dress self-consciously, hoping to stretch it out through strength alone. It was a bright green tube dress that clung to _every_ curve and left little to the imagination. Parker had managed to find a flowing black dress for herself with slits up the side and dipped low in the front and back. They were the perfect costumes for their con, just like all of her lifts. She quirked a brow at her, "What are you babbling about?"

Keely kept pulling at her hair and her dress as if someone had asked her to do a jig in her underwear in front of Congress. "I mean I'm not cut out for this. You… you look like the cover of Cosmo. I…" she looked down at herself with a frown, "I look like the cover of Farmer's Daughter."

Parker looked down blatantly at the generous cleavage spilling out over her dress and rolled her eyes. "You won't have a problem."

"No seriously Parker. You and Sophie are the Femme Fatales and I'm definitely…"

Parker grabbed her hand and pulled, "Stop whining. Come on!" Keely was left with no choice, but to yelp as Parker pulled her along.

No one even gave Parker and Keely a moment of grief as they sauntered through the employee's side entrance to the club. They smiled and flirted their way across the room, eyes spinning for sight of Josie. They found her in a booth sitting uncomfortably in some sleazy old-man's lap. Parker could hardly recognize her from their last encounter. The petite and adorable tomboy was replaced with a seductive and scandalously dressed girl with pounds of makeup and little restraint.

To the casual observer she would appear in sensual and confident in her surroundings. Parker and Keely could immediately see the hesitation in her body language, that she was squeamish about her position and her company. Three men were at the booth, large and rough, perhaps Norwegian mafia or arms dealers.

Parker turned to Keely, "There she is. What do we do now?"

Keely's eyes grew, "Me?! You're the one that does this on a daily basis."

"Yeah, but I always have Sophie or Nate to talk me through it."

"Well, I don't know."

"But you're the psychic one." Parker punched her shoulder.

Keely threw up her hands, "I already figured out she was in trouble _and_ brought you to her. That's all I got!"

Parker stared at her for a long moment, "You're kinda a useless psychic aren't ya?"

Keely sucked in a frustrated breathe through her teeth, then she let herself calm down and think. "Alright, first thing is… we stay close to Josie. Make sure she's safe."

Parker pointed at her. "Right and while keep an eye on Josie, I sneak into the owner's office and see what he has on her."

"Great. Then we'll find an excuse to go to the bathroom and slip out the window and get her home before they even realize she's gone."

"Perfect!"

"Amazing." They slapped hands triumphantly.

"See who needs Nate and Sophie? We're fine on our own."

"Yeah, it'll be great. Nothing could go wrong."

Parker and Keely dove into the booth surrounding the Josie and her male companions on both sides. Keely took hold of his arm and Parker placed her hand on his thigh. "Hey there, big fella." Josie's eyes grew huge at the sight of Parker.

Keely leapt up to hug her. "Hey there darling. I haven't seen you in a million years. You look gorgerous!" She leaned in to kiss her cheek and whispered, "Don't let them know. We're here to get you out." Josie remained stunned, but thankfully silent.

The men in the booth seemed ecstatic with their arrival. "Alright ladies, time for the real party to start." A bottle of Everclear dropped down on the table. A bottle put in the Guinness World Book Records for the most alcoholic drink in the world. He poured a shot for each of them. Keely leaned over to whisper in Parker's ear, "We need to figure out a way to water this down…"

Before she could even finish, Parker held up the shot "Slainte!" and threw it back and finished it in one swallow. Keely gulped with astonishment and whispered harshly, "Parker stop it. You can't drink that."

Parker licked her lips, "Why not?"

_Oh God, _thought Keely. _Only Parker would be able to get into the office and sneak them out of the club. If she was too drunk, they were screwed!_ The men started to push the shot onto Josie as well, pressuring her to take it. Keely immediately grabbed it and threw it back, searing her throat on the way down. They poured another for Parker, and before she could take it, Keely whipped it from her hand and downed it, trying to cover her gagging cough with a flirtatious giggle. "Sorry, I'm just a girl who loves a good time." _Gah! She felt like she just gurgled battery acid. She seriously thought her heart might stop._

The men hollered with appreciation and poured her another. Keely looked down at it with horror. _Please Good Lord no. _Parker started to take another as well, but Keely took it again. She growled at her under the noise of the crowd, "For God's sake, stop it." When they very nearly poured the next shot down her throat, her chest started burning.

Unfortunately, it was Parker and Josie who had to keep the men entertained because slowly Keely felt her vision start to blurr and everything started to seem warm and fuzzy. She squinted at Josie and could barely make out her features. Suddenly her body jolted as she was thumped on the back. Parker whispered in her ear, "I'm going now. Stay with Josie." Keely nodded like a bobble head.

When Parker left she gave herself a little pep talk. _Keely. This is important. Josie needs you. You have to hold it together. You have to stay in control. It's a life or death situation!_


	11. Chapter 11

Parker wasn't gone long. The security for the owner's office was a joke. Still she didn't have enough time to study the information she took, so she just swiped it for Hardison to analyze at later. Now they would get Josie out, return to the team, and plan out the next part of the con and put this monster out of business for good.

She weaved through the crowd, but cursed when she saw the booth, they had previously occupied, was now empty. She scanned the room and found the girls by the bar counter with Keely practically draped over Josie. Josie's expression shifted from trying to flirt with the guests to glancing at Keely with perplexed amazement. A ring of men, whom Keely was talking animatedly with, surrounded them.

Parker maneuvered closer and caught more of Keely's slurred, but passionate conversation. "And then he just throws me over his shoulder! Just like that! Like I'm a bag of fruit. It was just plain ruuuuuudde." She patted one of her companion's shoulders. "Fernando, you wouldn't do such a thing to your Silvia right."

A refined Hispanic gentleman shook his head, "A woman should be treated like a precious treasure, especially one you care about. My Silvia is my queen."

Keely gestured wildly. "See! You get it. All he does is nag, nag, nag…" She flapped her hand mockingly, imitating him.

'Stop falling and watch where you're going for once, Keely!'

'Don't leave the van, Keely.'

'Don't jump from a second story into a tank, Keely.'

God! He's impossible!" The men nodded in agreement.

Parker slid up next to Josie and whispered, "What's going on?"

The befuddled Josie whispered back, "I don't know what's wrong with her. First of all, she's completely sloshed and not making any sense. Second, she keeps talking like she knows them, but that's impossible right?"

Parker winced, "Are they getting suspicious?"

Josie threw up her hands, "Somehow they love it."

Keely groggily pointed at another spectator, squinting at him like a baby mole, "_You_ know what I'm talking about. The way your boss treats you is awful. You should stand up for yourself. You are a human being and deserve better!" The man's face folded in anguish, his forehand dropped in despair onto Keely's shoulder. She patted him on the back supportively.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Keely knew she should stop talking. Usually, she tried to block her psychic abilities from people's personal lives or at least have the sense not to mention it. Right now she could barely remember her own name, let alone have the self-control to stop sputtering about all of the premonitions she was getting about the wanted criminals hitting on them. The generous amount of Everclear had given everything a warm and hazy glaze

A Russian brute came up and tried to pull Josie away. Keely held on tight to her. "Sorry buddy, we're a two for one deal."

He grinned and tried to pull them both into his embrace, "That's fine by me."

Keely frowned up at him, digging in her heels as he pulled. "Are you serious!" She smushed Josie's cheeks with her fingers. "She's the same age as your daughter. How would you feel if your daughter was here, getting hit on by creepy old men."

The man was first taken aback and then his anger started to build. _Definitely, not good idea to insult the costumer, especially since they were trying to stay under the radar. _Keely quickly pointed over his shoulder, "In fact, is that her? Long brown hair, fair skin, a mole right above her lip. How did she get in here?"

The man suddenly whipped around, horrified. "Bernice! Bernice!" But he took off in the direction she pointed and left them in peace.

Park tapped Keely's shoulder cautiously, "How are we doing so far?"

Keely started laughing almost hysterically, "I can't feel my legs."

Parker took hold of her arm and started pulling, "Well, that's good. We need to leave now."

Keely continued to giggle as Parker pulled and Keely kept her unrelenting grip on Josie. Then suddenly she started twirling around, making clicking sounds. "What am I? What am I?"

Parker pulled fruitlessly, "I really don't care."

"I'm a sprinkler! It was so obvious Parker." She paused and studied Parker with glossy eyes, " You really aren't very good at this game, are you? Ok, try another one!"

Keely somehow slipped from their grip and started jumping and frolicking around, fluttering her hands. It was drawing a lot of attention and Parker nearly had to tackle her to get her to stop. "I'm a rainbow fairy," Keely announced. "See all of my pretty colors."

Parker groaned as she grabbed better hold of Keely's bicep and pulled harder, "You're making me wish I brought my taser."

As Keely was pulled toward an isolated corner, she started growling and gnashing her teeth. Parker looked back at her, obviously exasperated. "What are you doing now?"

"This is my impression of Eliot. Pretty good right?! He is like this big burly growly bear thingy that growls, with eyes like…" she pounded her fist to her chest with dreamy glistening eyes, "…beautiful glowing jewels that sear into your soul."

Keely slumped dejectedly, a rapid change from her previously bubbly aura and mumbled under her breath, "He just doesn't play fair."

Watching her, Josie asked curiously, "Why do you keep talking about Eliot?"

Keely's eyes widened, suddenly taken aback and shocked at the self-realization. "I have absolutely noooooo idea."

The three girls pushed through the double doors that were only for employees, giving them more privacy. Keely slumped against a wall for further support in her dizzy and inebriated state, while Parker interrogated Josie.

"What were you thinking? Do you know what these kind of people do to girls like you?! Well, I don't… but I don't plan on finding out. We're taking you home now!

Josie grabbed hold of Parker frantically to stop her, "No! We can't." Josie's voice broke as she started crying.

Keely cooed and enveloped her in draping full hug that was somewhat inappropriate for just meeting her an hour ago and Parker waited, while Josie explained. "Paul Mantlo, who you got me a job with, they didn't just give me work; they made me a part of their family. I babysat their kids, went on trips with them, spent holidays with them. The Mantlo family means more to me than anything. When some old members of Lefty's crew found me and asked me to come work in the club for them, I refused. I loved the new life I had made for myself, and didn't want to lose it for anything. Then… they threatened the Mantlo family. They said if I didn't work for them, the Mantlos would suffer for it. So I was left with no choice. I came here, and haven't been able to leave since, for fear of what they will do to them."

Keely patted her head, "You are such a good, good girl and they are just plain meanies. I don't like meanies. Nope, nope, nope."

Parker rubbed her brow in vexation; not knowing this is how everyone else felt about her, most of the time. "I know you're scared Josie, but I promise you we will protect the Mantlo family. Our team got you out of worse trouble last time and you can trust us to handle this."

Keely nodded vigorously, "Exactly, and right now I saw that _you're _the one in immediate danger. We help you first and then stop them before they can hurt anyone again, especially the Mantlos." Parker and Josie stared at Keely who seemed somewhat normal again… until she stood up and harshly hushed them. "You hear that." She cupped her ear dramatically. Josie and Parker could only hear the same muffled party noise that had always been there.

Keely placed her fists on her hips in a distinct Supergirl poise. "Someone's in trouble! I must go save the day!" Then she put out her arms, pretending to fly, and making a "whoshing" noise soared back into the club.

Josie raised a brow at her, "Is she alright?"

Parker shrugged, "Probably not, but I have to assume she knows what she's doing. She's psychic after all."

"She's what?!"

Parker waved a hand at her, "It's too difficult to explain. Don't worry about it. We'll get her later, I'll take you to the car first." Parker led her through the club stealthily, heading to her pre-planned exit. Josie and Parker were surrounded before they made two steps out the door. Parker sensed they were trapped before a single face entered her vision.

She whipped around and found black suited men circled around, covering every inch of her escape. Then a man stepped in front of them, the remnants of a face she knew so well in her youth, but thought she'd never see again. It had changed, was older. But those eyes, the blonde moppy hair, that calculating smile, they were still the same.

She whispered his name unconsciously. He strutted towards them with hands in his pockets, never losing that unnerving smile. He nodded towards Josie, "Why are you wasting time here? Get back to work." Josie took off in a blink. Parker stood frozen staring at the vision of her past.

He nodded to his men, "Bring her in." The men grabbed hold of Parker's arms and dragged her to a back room. There was a single bar counter, some bar stools and couches, but its most distinctive feature were the numerous screens covering every wall, displaying scenes of every inch of the bar. Parker scanned for Keely or Josie. The men plopped her down on the bar stool, while the face of her past swooped around the bar and poured a drink. "Now, as pretty as you are, I know you're not one of my girls. I pick my girls very thoughtfully. So the question is, who are you?"

Parker reached across the room, quick as lightening and took his drink, taking a slow, confident sip. He just stared at her, stunned by her audacity. Parker smiled, but it was like a shark's smile, devious and threatening. "What's the matter Kelly, don't recognize old friends?"

Kelly's head tilted, staring at her with more diligence. "Parker?"

Parker answered back coldly, "Kelly."

He laughed, slapping her knee, "You sure grew up." Parker grew ice cold. He brushed his thumb across this mouth, "Damn girl, if I knew you would be this hot, I would have kept you around!"

She growled at him, "Yeah, you should have thought of that before you left me on that car heist and let me spend 6 months in juvie."

He shook a finger at her, "Aww, you aren't still sore about that Parker, are you? We were just kids. You can't hold that against me." Parker felt it nearly saint-like that she didn't throw the rest of her drink in his face. Kelly poured himself another drink and leaned across the counter. "I've heard things about you Parker. Are they true?"

Parker took another sip, mostly to occupy her hands to keep herself from stabbing him. All of her training with Sophie was coming into use now. "What sort of things?" she said enticingly.

He looked her straight in the eye, "That you stole enough paintings and diamonds to fill an entire museum."

Parker raised a brow, "And if it's true?"

He crooked a finger at her, to have her lean in closer, "Then maybe we have some business options to discuss."

Parker slid off her stool and strutted around the room, studying the screens. "I don't jump into any pool without checking the water first. What's your game?"

He placed his hands in his pockets and followed her, "I don't either. What were you doing with one of my girls?"

Parker shrugged, "We did a job together in the past. I asked for her help again and she said she was already committed. Nothing too big. I was just leaving when you grabbed me, rather rudely I might add."

She gave him a stern look that only made him laugh. "God you've changed. Where'd that sneaky, jumpy little scruff ball go?" _She's still here_, thought Parker. _You just can't see her. _

He reached over her shoulder and pointed at one of the screens, "See there. Every one of these men is in the business. All of them are ripe apples just waiting to be plucked and my girls are the pickers. I tell them what to take from whom, what conversations to listen on, what information to gather. We sell the information to discreet and desperate clients for a not so small fee."

"Isn't it dangerous? To mess with these men? They'll eventually figure out what's going on and it'll lead them back to this place."

He shook his head, "No, I cover my bases. The blame won't land on me."

"The girls," Parker whispered, "the girls will take the blame." He shrugged as if the thought of endangering these girls' lives hadn't even occurred to him, nor did he care in the least bit.

Parker swallowed her incensement, "I'll think about it."

"Sure, sure," he answered. "Let me just walk you out." He followed her out the door and into the dance floor crowd. Suddenly he roughly grabbed hold of Parker's arm, and pulled her in a different direction. "Oh, and I probably should have mentioned this earlier. There's no way I'm letting you leave this place."

He shoved her towards one of the guards. "Take her to the basement." Parker knew what he meant. If she didn't join him, she was dead. She started struggling in earnest now, for him to release his grip. She pulled back her fist to punch him in the face.

Yet before she could connect with his jaw, a flying form launched itself onto his back, screeching and hissing like a wild animal. It repeatedly whacked Kelly on his head with a heel with such vehemence, it wasn't long before he collapsed on the ground. A few guards tried to intervene, but Parker quickly used Elliot's tutelage to grab his arm and flip him onto his back.

Keely was off Kelly and was tackling the next guard like a crazed monkey, just as Parker was kicking the last guard in the sweet spot, making him crumple to the floor. Keely and Parker stared at each other panting for breath over the incapacitated bodies. They whooped with triumph in unison and jumped, giving each other a high five. "We did it!"

"Yeah, who needs Eliot. We can take care of it ourselves!"

"Yeah!"

Abruptly Keely's eyes focused and she became instantly sober. To Parker's shock, Keely grabbed a bottle and threw it across the room. It slowly revolved as it spun above the crowd's head. It smacked against a red velvet curtain and you could hear a sharp "whap," following a short yell of pain and soft thump.

"It's good!" Keely shouted with victory, throwing up her hands like a touchdown. They sprinted over to the curtain and pulled it back to reveal a very disheveled and terrified Josie crouched on the floor. Across from her was a prone man sprawled on the ground, with a gun next to his limp hand. His placement and the matt of blood on his hair revealed the bottle Keely threw was the source of his current unconscious state.

Josie was shaking as they pulled her up. "He knew I stole from him. He said he was going to kill me!"

Parker picked up the gun, while Keely wrapped her arm around Josie. "We need to move. NOW!"


	12. Chapter 12

As they ran for the door, Parker glanced over at Keely. "Where were you?"

Keely kept her hand clutched to the back of Parker's dress, trying to not lose sight of her, despite the waves of wooziness overflowing her. "Someone was trying to put something in a girl's drink, but I knocked it out of her hands, and then kicked the guy in the shin." She repeated the karate kick, complete with sound effects that she must have exhibited earlier. Parker raised a brow at her, as they pushed their way through the side door, and into the alleyway.

Once they were out of the club, she placed her hands on Keely's shoulders. "Exactly how drunk are you?"

Keely's head just bobbed repeatedly, until she he thrust the keys in Parker's hand. "A promise is a promise. I'll let you drive."

Parker pumped her fist in success, "Yess! Wait a minute… that means… you're wasted!" She thought for a moment, "Or we're running for our lives." Angry shouts echoed behind them, the followed by the ping of bullets hitting walls. Parker ducked as she pushed Keely and Josie forward, "I guess it's both."

They ducked and raced for the car, but a group of banged up guards were standing in front of it. Kelly emerged between them, holding a cloth to his bleeding head and looking supremely pissed. He pulled out a switch blade, making Josie yelp. But instead of coming towards them, he walked to the car and stabbed the tires.

Keely yelled and tried to march forward, but was stopped by Parker's restraining arm. "Hey! That's not even our car!"

"Quiet, Keely," Parker hushed her hoarsely.

Keely frowned, "But how are we going to return it in perfect condition now?"

The slowly girls backed up as the guards advanced and Parker growled at her, "I'm more concerned about the condition _we_ are going to return in."

Keely patted her companions on the back with a hard thump, "Don't worry, it'll work out in the end."

Parker's voice raised hopefully, "Did you have a vision?! How do we get out of this?"

Keely shook her head, until her hair fell out of her pins, "Nope, just a positive attitude. You shouldn't be so negative." She started humming _Always Look on the Bright Side of Life. _ They had now backed up so far they were nearly cornered up against the club wall again

"For God's sake Keely, stop singing!"

"Fine, fine. No need to be a grumpy pants."

Kelly and his army of guards were stalking them. Slowly and steadily enfolding them, grinning like predators about to pounce. "I'll make you a deal with you ladies," he purred. "I let you live and you work off your life debt with me, until I say I don't need you anymore." He chuckled and held up his hands, "Now, who says I don't do favors for old friends?"

Keely raised her hand, like an overly enthusiastic student, answering the teacher's question. Parker yanked it down. Keely neatly stepped in front of her, and pointed an accusing finger at Kelly, "You know what? I don't believe you. I think you want us to help you pull off one last big job, and then you're going to kill us, and let us take the heat for all of your jobs, and run skipping away, and _that_ sir is not being a good friend. You are a mean mean man." She paused briefly, "And you should return those rental movies in your car. Keeping them is basically stealing."

Parker thought he might shoot them all then and there, but luckily, he was so stupefied by Keely's near perfect rendition of his plan, he hesitated. "Who is this chick?" He whipped around, asking all of the other guards. They only shrugged at him in shared confusion.

Keely stood proudly with her hands on her hips, "I am Keely Thomas and I… am about to be sick. Excuse me." No one stopped her as she bolted around a corner. Everyone made faces of disgust at the sound of her coughing and gagging. Josie winced, seemed mildly concerned, while Parker continued to scan the area, taking the opportunity to look for an escape. _No car. Every entrance blocked. Several guns aimed at them. It didn't look good._ She wished she and Keely had let the rest of the team know where they were. They could really use back up right about now.

Keely stumbled back to them, her eyes squinting at the indistinct images surrounding her. Josie caught her and steadied her, "False alarm! False alarm, everyone! Just some hair caught in my throat. It's under control now." She wobbled, "I really wish you'd all just stay still and stop spinning. That would be extremely helpful."

Kelly pointed in their direction, with a sneer. "Forget it. Just waste them."

Parker and Josie clutched each other with a gasp, while Keely just frowned. "Now that's just being a bad host."

"I couldn't agree more," a voice called from the dark shadows. Everyone turned to see the source of the statement. Keely squealed, like Santa appeared on Christmas, "Fernando!"

Fernando emerged with a crafty smile, smooth and composed, despite the hazardous and high-tension circumstance. The fact he was surrounded by a crew of his own, gruff and tough, armed men, must have helped him achieve that cool collected confidence.

Kelly visibly stiffened at the sight of him. "Stay out of this Senor Degas. This has nothing to do with you."

Slowly, Fernando unwrapped a cigar, cut the tip and lit it, taking a long, slow pull. "Now that's where you are wrong. Because first of all, this young lady is a new friend of mine, and I take great offense to those who threaten my friends."

He ran his tapped his cigar and examined it. "Secondly, earlier tonight she told me a very interesting tale, of certain bank information you stole. A fact, I didn't fully believe, until you just confirmed it." His devious dark eyes finally met Kelly's panicked light ones. "So you see, it is very much my business." In unison, every one of his men's guns raised and pointed at Kelly and his thugs

Kelly was sweating and twitching, finally flustered. He ordered his men to shoot, right before he bolted. Parker scoffed in disgust. _Running was always what Kelly did best_. She immediately pulled the girls to the ground, to avoid the instantaneous gunfire, and then crawling on their bellies, led them to behind the trash bins. The girls hugged each other, bracing themselves amongst the fighting and chaos surrounding them. Bullets hit everywhere, bodies were flying through the air, and the sound was near deafening.

Parker searched for an escape. They were weaponless and Eliot-less, so their best choice was to hide and run. She pointed to the street. "Stick the wall, follow it to the street. I'll grab another car and meet you."

Keely was not appropriately appreciative of this plan. "You're stealing another car! We can't even return the first one!"

Parker clamped a hand over her mouth. "It's either that or die! Get over it!" Although Keely's eyes still seemed huge and lustrous, she slowly nodded.

Keeping their backs to the wall, they crept slowly away from the gunfire and towards the street. They made it to the sidewalk and were almost home free, until Kelly turned around the street corner with a handful of goons, who managed to escape with him. He must have circled the block, knowing they would try to run this way. Every one of them had a gun pointed at the girls. Kelly sneered at them. "I gave you the chance of a lifetime Parker and instead you ruined everything!"

Parker laughed, "Are you kidding? I made the mistake of following you once, when I too young and stupid to know the difference. Now I have real partners. Partners that would never _ever_ leave me behind. I would never make the mistake of working with you again."

Kelly seemed to grow only more ruddy and furious by the second. "Well here's the consolation prize, you'll never have to… because you'll be dead!"

Keely then jumped on Parker, yanking her to the ground, a split second before every light shut off and they were immersed in pitch black. Immediately, every car alarm erupted in a fit of sirens and wails. Parker's lips curved, instantly feeling a rush a warmth. She knew this work. "Hardison," she whispered fondly.

While Kelly and his men were still whipping around frantically, completely dumfounded about what was happening, a shadow of destruction descended upon them. The dark form, whose features weren't even distinguishable in the darkness, was a blurr of motion. Throwing punches and elbows, flipping people onto their back's. They were all disarmed and knocked out in the span of seconds.

The lights came on again in time for Parker to see Eliot's large hand wrapped around Kelly's throat, pulling him up from the ground. Kelly struggled fruitlessly, grasping desperately at the hand choking him. With one final growl, he tossed Kelly until he hit the wall and collapsed on the ground.

Eliot was a boiling kettle of rage, panting and growling under his breath. His hair was bristled with temper and his starling blue eyes were the definition of ice cold fury. He threw back his head and roared like a anguished lion, "KEELY!"

Parker turned, to face the spot where Keely should be…

But it was empty… Keely was gone.

Eliot marched towards them. His eyes met Parker's and despite the fact Parker had been with him through many dangerous situations and knew he would never hurt her, his expression still made her flinch. "Where is she?"

Parker shrugged, "She was next to me when the light went out."

He turned towards the alley and roared again, "Keely, you come out here right now!"

It was in fact, Fernando who found Keely first. He men had already taken care of the remainder of Kelly's group and he wanted to thank her for her information about Kelly's traitorous double dealings. She was huddled behind a trash can, covering her ears, to spare them from Eliot's calls.

Fernando smiled and crouched down next to her. "I believe your friend is looking for you _Mi Rosa_."

Keely shrugged, "We don't know that. It could be another Keely he's looking for." She gazed up at him with her widest, sweetest, and most compelling gaze, known to melt weaker men. "Maybe I could just stay with you?"

He chuckled and took hold of her hand, patting it affectionately. "_Mi Rosa,_ I know the difference between a man who is just angry, and a man who is angry because he is scared and worried for something he cares about." He nodded towards the alley, "Go to him. It will be alright."

Keely smiled weakly, "Thank you Fernando. I really do, think you are a good man. And if you switched from money laundering to a legitimate business, I think you could be even better."

He winked at her and then bent down to kiss the hand he held, "I'll think about it."

Eliot stalked around the club, not taking long to notice the pair of heels peeking out behind an obscure pile of trash. He stood right in front of it. "Keely," he growled, imitating perfectly the bear, Keely had acted out earlier.

A chirpy voice called out, "Keely is not here at the moment. Please leave a message after the beep. BEEP."

In one smooth movement, Eliot lifted the enormous trash bin, filled to the brim and tossed it clear across to the other wall. Keely shrieked with shock and the fact she was completely exposed to his furious glare. She gave Eliot, a short shaking wave, "Hi." He reached down and grabbed hold of her wrist, dragging her along. He remained stonily silent and since Keely could barely see straight, let alone form a coherent argument, she said nothing as well.


	13. Chapter 13

Eliot raked back his hair in agitation. After they had finished the Drug Lord Job, Nate had pulled him aside, sharing information that would only make their lives, particularly his, as the team protector, more difficult. He stepped up to Lucille, knocking to alert his presence before entering. He scanned the interior, but only saw Hardison showing Sophie some footage of their latest con and laughing at the hardened drug dealers' frantic and embarrassing scenes. But his eyes couldn't find the person he was seeking. "Where's Keely?"

"Huh?" Hardison answered absently.

Eliot's expression hardened, "Keely? Doe eyed red head with a tendency towards trouble. She's not in the van." Hardison's and Sophie's eyes darted around the van in confusion, causing apprehension to snake its way into his chest.

Hardison scratched his head, "She was here, wasn't she? I don't remember her leaving."

Sophie shrugged, "She probably just left for the restroom or to get a breath of fresh air."

Hardison nodded, "You have been keeping her on a pretty tight leash. She's probably sick of it." Eliot growled and stalked out the van.

He surveyed the surroundings and his heartbeat only quickened. He began to search in earnest for her, soon joined by everyone on the team… except Parker. She wasn't answering her com and was probably sleeping in an air duct again. Yet, there was no sign of Keely and not a single clue of where she might be.

Eliot Spencer had waged wars in some of the most dangerous parts of the planet. He had fought against the most ruthless men in humankind. He had been trapped in situations where death had seemed a more positive outcome.

But nothing… absolutely nothing, had terrified him more than this moment. He was bombarded with images of Keely tied to that chair, bucking and screaming vainly in pain. If they had found her… if they had her now… how would he ever get her back again. It made a war hardened soldier and once merciless assassin, sick to his stomach and break out into a cold sweat.

He gripped Hardison's shoulder as he was bent over his computers, the shaking tension sending a private message between them of his desperation. "Find her," he whispered hoarsely. Hardison only nodded in acknowledgment.

Hardison's fingers flew over the keyboard, moving faster than your eye could track. "There!" he announced, pointing at the screen. "Footage of the parking lot about an hour ago." Eliot and the rest of team leaned in closer, watching Keely sneak up to an obscure car. They watched her lean over the door, as if trying to gain entrance through will power alone. Then, abruptly she jerked and flew back, startled by something inside the car. The car door flung open and still taking deep breaths to recover from her shock, Keely climbed in and the car peeled out of the parking lot.

Nate put his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels, "Well, she wasn't taken. That's for certain. She entered that car of her own free will and drove it."

It was at that moment that anger started to replace the fear in Eliot's gut. She had left. After she had promised him she wouldn't. She had looked up at him with those wide glistening eyes and lied to his face. What possible reason could justify that?

Nate leaned over Hardison's shoulder, "Is there any way to track that car?"

Hardison shook his head, "I have a few traffic cameras, but other than that, not enough to track her… Hey! Wait a minute!"

They could see on the screen a steadily moving beeping dot. "You managed to track Keely?" Sophie asked.

Hardison closed his eyes and rubbed them in agitation. "No, that would be Parker's shoe tracker."

In Russia, Parker had taken off to help save orphans from Russian weapon smugglers, without the approval or the support of the team. Since then, Hardison had grown into the habit of placing a tracker in all of Parker's shoes. It appeared, once again, she had gone on a mission all on her own.

Nate piped in, "Hardison, track Parker in unison with Keely's departure from the parking lot." With a few more swift key strokes, the simultaneous screens of parking lot footage popped up along side of Parker's tracker. Sure enough, the beeping dot matched with the video of Keely taking the car… perfectly.

Hardison looked back at Eliot, utterly baffled, "They left together? What possible reason would they have to leave together?"

"I don't know," Eliot announced, growling. "But I'm going to find out."

Hardison and Eliot took Lucille, followed in a separate car by Nate and Sophie, tracking Parker's signal for hours, until it lead them all the way to an underground bar in New York. By the time Eliot arrived, his anxiety and rage had grown into a living and breathing beast. When they discovered the girls cornered by a group of second rate thugs, Hardison cut out the power and Eliot unleashed the beast. He was actually disappointed there were only a handful of men for him to dispose of. He wished there was an army for him to battle in order to fully vent his overflowing incensement.

Instead, he handled them disappointedly swiftly and went in search for the bane of his existence. Then he found her cowering behind a trash barrel, quivering and gazing up at him as if the Hades had materialized to drag her into the underworld.

At the sight of her, a part of him wanted to pull her into his arms, relieved she was actually unharmed and hadn't been taken. A greater part wanted to shake and throttled some sense into her. Had she any idea how much danger she had put herself in? How much danger she had put Parker in as well? He had imagined so many horrifying scenarios and here she was, perfectly fine, without a scratch on her, looking as if she just had a fun girl's night out. Since neither reaction was a viable option, he settled for grabbing her arm and pulling her out of the alley.

Keely trudged along, dragging her feet, barely able to keep up with Eliot's incessant yanking, but the worst was Eliot's irate ranting. It was akin to a dragon blowing fire directly into your face. "Are you an idiot?! I'm in charge of protecting you Keely and you decide to leave for New York! Do you want to be found again huh? Do you want to go back to that lab?"

Keely groggily tried to argue her defense, "No! Josie needed us. Parker and I had to help her."

"That's the worst of it. You decided to endanger Parker's life as well. How can we trust you after this?"

Keely sputtered at the injustice of it, "We had to save her! What else was I supposed to do?" Eliot remained stubbornly resolute in his anger and blame towards her. Keely shouted and pounded her fist, "I want a lawyer. This is slander! I won't stand for it!"

At this point, Eliot dragged her far enough so they were under the streetlights again. Eliot briefly glanced back at her and then swiveled his head back towards her sharply, pulling her in front of him, his eyes huge. "What the hell are you wearing?!"

Keely grumbled under her breath, "Clothes… I mean… I think…" She glanced down to reassure herself. "Yes, they're clothes."

Eliot started sputtering. Something he couldn't recall doing in his entire life. "Those aren't clothes. It looks like cling wrap! Where did you get them?"

Keely perked up because she remembered the answer to this question, "Oh yes, yes! Parker got them for me… I'm pretty sure illegally, knowing her." With a growl, Eliot took off his jacket and covered her with it and then took hold of her hand, pulling her behind him, yet again. Keely sneakily, dipped her chin under the jacket collar to breath in Eliot's warm hardy scent and stifled a giggle.

They joined the rest of group and found Hardison, hugging Parker tightly. Keely couldn't help the cooing sound that escaped her at witnessing their sweet reunion. She took a step towards them, but greatly misjudged the distance and leverage and managed to swerve violently towards the wall, before Eliot caught her bicep and pulled her back. The rapid unbalance, made her fall into his chest. He was nose to nose with her now, looking down at her languid limbs, sleepy glistening eyes and not to mention… breath that reeked of alcohol.

Eliot winced, "Damn it Keely, what did you drink?"

Parker huffed, "She stole all of our drinks. It was quite rude actually."

Luckily, Josie piped up in her defense. "The men made us take shots. I think Keely was trying to keep Parker and I from getting drunk, by taking them herself. She wasn't really happy about it." Eliot studied his charge warily, who suddenly decided this time this was the opportune time to attempt a back bend toward the ground.

"What did she have?" Eliot mumbled.

Parker shrugged and Josie squeaked, "Everclear."

Hardison guffawed and covered it by coughing in his hand. "Man, that's some serious stuff. I'm surprised she's standing at all."

As if Keely decided to take Hardison's suggestion, her eyes rolled back and she melted. Only Eliot's quick reflexes, kept her from collapsing onto a boneless heap onto the ground. She was now draped across him, his forearm anchoring her waist. He looked down at her, growling in frustration. Great. Now he couldn't even have the satisfaction of yelling at her because she wouldn't even remember a word of it.

He lifted her dead weight and walked towards Nate's and Sophie's car. "We'll take the car. You take the van."

Keely woke up groaning in pain. Her mouth tasted like she had stuffed it with cotton, her stomach felt like battery acid was swirling around, and her head… God, there were no words for the excruciating throbbing pain in her head. She gripped it and whimpered in misery, rolling into her pillow. "I'm dying."

A voice echoed some reason in her head, "You're not dying, you're just drunk."

"No," she argued with the voice. "It could not be possible to feel this bad and not be dying."

"Well, you did seem to do a good job of nearly getting yourself kidnapped or killed last night."

Keely's brows furrowed. She couldn't remember her voice of reason being so growly… or so male.

Her eyes flew up and she shot up with such speed, it nearly made her yowl in pain again. Her wide eyes took in her surroundings, frantically. She was back in Eliot's apartment, in a bed. In _his_ bed, she realized with horror and there was Eliot sitting at the end of it, watching her with a fierce express. She pressed her back against the headboard, images of last night returning. _Oh hot pockets, was he going to be furious with her._

He reached across the space between them and handed her a glass of water. Keely blinked at him and took it with shaking hands. Then he just studied her, his ice blue eyes glowing more intensely with every passing moment. It made her want to squirm under it's interrogating gaze. Then he said, "You promised me. I thought you never lied."

Oh wonderful, _now_ she _really _wished the earth would just open up and swallow her whole. The guilt was overwhelming and his expression of hurt disappointment was far worse than any ranting or raving.

"Eliot it wasn't like that. I wasn't trying to run. I was always coming back. I even had Parker with me. I had to leave, Josie was…"

He stood up and paced, interrupting her excuses, "What did you think I was going to think Keely? You were just gone. Without a trace, without a word…" He ran his hands through his hair and sat on the bed next to her, speaking softly, "They are still looking for you Keely. Hardison told me they are _still _looking for you. I thought they had you again."

Keely gulped, trying to swallow the sudden lump in her throat, "I didn't think of that Eliot… I couldn't. Time mattered and if I had waited, Josie would be dead."

"I know, I talked to Josie and Parker. They told me what had happened. If you had information that Josie was in danger, why did you just tell us? We could have helped you too. That's what we do, remember? You should have at least told me."

Keely clutched her fists in frustration, "But you wouldn't have believed me! I told you before, I have visions, remember? You thought it was a joke or a delusion. While I was in the van, I had a vision of Josie being shot and killed last night. How could I expect you to believe what I saw about Josie, if you don't even believe in me? It was either let her die or sneak away from you and I'm sorry Eliot, but I choose to save Josie instead."

Keely was quivering, riddled with emotion, as Eliot's eyes roamed over her. Taking in every detail. Slowly, he took hold of her hands, uncurling her fists. "You're right. I don't understand you or what you can do. But no matter how you discover it, your instincts always end up becoming true. So I promise you, no matter how unbelievable your hunches, may seem, I will always believe them." He squeezed her hands tighter and Keely forgot to breathe. "But you have to promise me that you will always tell me when you sense or see someone in danger and never, ever, run off on your own again because I will always find you and I will always be on your side, no matter what." He cleared his throat, "Besides, I'd prefer that to tracking and chasing you across the state and saving you from a group of gang con men." He smiled, the creases in his cheeks making her nearly sigh. "Deal?

"Deal," she said breathlessly as she automatically shook the hand he offered.


	14. Chapter 14

Hardison slid the tablet across the counter so Josie could watch the newsfeed. Kelly's beaten and battered face was clearly shown being shoved into the back of a police car. Sophie smiled as leaned over the faded red vinyl seats, "Not only is he being put on trial, but after every criminal in the city is aware of his intentions, he now knows he is safer behind bars."

Josie beamed as she looked up at the crew surrounding her at the bar booth. "I can't thank you enough. Not only once, but twice now you've saved my life."

Parker elbowed Keely, making her turn green, "Well it was really Keely who knew you were in trouble and thanks to her massive flirting with Fernando, Kelly's reputation in the criminal society is ruined, as well." Under Eliot's fierce scrutiny, Keely winched, still feeling grossly under the weather from last night's festivities.

She groaned defensively, "I wasn't flirting. It was strategic_._"

"Strategic flirting," Parker mumbled, making Keely frown.

She rubbed her temples as her headache worsened, "Strategic friendliness!I knew he wasn't completely bad and had strong streak of honor. If we were in trouble, he would consider it his duty as gentleman to always help a lady. So I decided he was the best person to tell about Kelly's con."

She threw up her hands as everyone continued to observe her with expressions of doubt, "I talked to him about his girlfriend. It wasn't flirting for crying out loud!"

Hardison took a sip of water and said under his breath, "How could it be, when you could barely stand?" Keely glared at him, which she had to quickly stop because she started to see stars again.

Josie perked up, "Oh I see, that's why you were complaining to him so much about…" Keely dove across the table and shoved her hand over Josie's mouth, signaling with a panicked expression to shut up!

She chuckled uncomfortably at everyone's stares, "I had a lot to drink and did some embarrassing things. Maybe it would be better to not rehash _every_ detail of that night." Josie nodded slowly, understanding her meaning. But Eliot's expression didn't lighten at all.

Nate stood next to Sophie, "Well the important thing is, I can promise you, Josie, that Kelly will not bother you or the Mantlos again. He is out of your life for good."

Parker clapped her on the back, "You can go back to your old life now!" Josie kept her head lowered, her dark hair falling over her face. "It's not that I'm not grateful for what you've done… but I don't think I can go back to the Mantlos."

Parker threw up her hands, "Why on earth not?! You're free now!"

She gave a weak smile, "I know and I'm planning to start over again, but this whole mess started in first place because of my past." She rotated her mug anxiously in her hands, "What if it happens again? What if someone else from Lefty's crew or Kelly's bar tries to find me. I can't put the Mantlos in that kind of danger again. I can't ask that of them."

Hardison covered her hand with his and gave a friendly squeeze, "We've all done things we're not proud of."

Eliot nodded with his arms folded across his chest, "If we let mistakes of the past dictate our future happiness, none of us would let anything good happen to us. You can't let it keep you from living a full and normal life. Everyone deserves a second… Keely what are you doing!?"

Keely had taken hold of Hardison's phone and was fiddling with it. "I'm recording this for future reference for you."

He roughly yanked it from her hands, "Stop that!"

Josie waved her hands, "It doesn't matter. I disappeared without a word and ran to work in shady bar. I'm sure they can't trust me again."

Eliot pointed at the door, "I believe that's a question for them."

Josie turned around and stood up, her mouth gaping when the Mantlo family came bursting through the swinging door. "Josie!" First the two girls raced to her with beaming faces and clung onto her legs like monkeys, nearly knocking her over. "Megan! Katie! What are you doing here?!" She barely regained her balance before Mr. and Mrs. Mantlo threw their arms around her as well. Josie could barely breathe in the cocoon of Mantlos. Mrs. Mantlo was sobbing and Mr. Mantlo was hugging her so tightly he was shaking.

With tears still streaming down her face, Mrs. Mantlo put Josie's face into her hands and brushed back her hair. "Let me look at you. Thank God you are okay. We were so worried!"

Mr. Mantlo gently shook her shoulder, "Don't you ever scare us like that again ok. We thought the worst!"

Nate stood up and walked towards them. "We called them after we found you. We offered to send you home, but once they found you were safe, they insisted on coming to get you themselves."

Little dark haired Megan titled up her chin and stared up at Josie, "We missed you Josie!" The younger Katie's little brow furrowed, "Yeah the other babysitter is a dud!" Josie chuckled and when she brushed her cheek, felt the wetness and realized she was crying as well.

"But…" she looked pleadingly at Mrs. Mantlo, "this was my fault. I put your family at risk."

Mrs. Mantlo frowned at her and pointed scolding finger, "Don't be absurd Josie."

Mr. Mantlo patted her on the back, "Mr. Ford told us the whole story. You put yourself in so much danger just to protect us. That proves more than anything you are a part of this family."

Mrs. Mantlo smiled, "And don't even think of leaving us again."

The Leverage team smiled as they watched the whole family reunited once again.

* * *

"What are you doing?" Keely peeked around the huge pile of clothes and linens she was carrying. "Laundry."

Eliot took the pile from her so quickly, Keely got whiplash, " You don't need to do that. I have a service that does it."

Keely scowled and tried to take it back, "Well, you're right. I don't _need _to do it. I want to do it."

Eliot scowled back and neatly blocked her with his arm, "Well, I don't _need_ or _want_ you to do it. You're here as a safe house, not to do chores. "

Keely's watched Eliot's back disappear, her fists clenched in vexation.

* * *

"What are you doing now?!"

Keely was on her hands and knees with a bucket of soapy water and a scrub brush working on a particularly difficult scuff mark. "I'm scrubbing the floors."

"I can see that. Why are you scrubbing floors is the real question?

She just looked at him, "Well, that is what one does when the floors are dirty Eliot."

He yanked the bucket and scrub brush from her. "Stop cleaning!"

"Hey!" Keely briefly considered wrestling it from him, but stopped herself when she knew that she would lose… badly.

He held up the cleaning supplies, shaking his head. "Where did you even get this stuff?"

She shrugged, "Around."

He let out a deep sigh, as if she were the most frustrating person in the world. _Hah! He should look in the mirror._

"I don't know what you've been up to lately, but every time I turn around you're trying to do a new project. I have people already that do that stuff so just stop it."

Keely crossed her arms and pouted on the floor. As he left the kitchen, she shouted out after him. "I'm just trying to be helpful. I hardly think that's such a crime!"

Eliot's voice echoed back, "It's worse than criminal, it's annoying. Cut it out!"

Keely growled in frustration

* * *

Eliot dropped his spoon on the kitchen table with a definitive clang, "Fine. What is it Keely?!" Keely shook her head, "What do you mean?" Eliot gestured down to his bowl of oatmeal. "You've been staring at me, eating my breakfast, for the last 20 minutes. What is going on with you?" Keely looked down at herself and realized she had, in fact, been balancing her head on top of her folded hands and had been analyzing Eliot since he came into the room to fix breakfast.

After a few more moments, she finally said the words that had been rolling around in her brain. "Am I ruining your life?"

Eliot froze with his spoon half way to his mouth. "Huh?"

"It's a simple question. Is my presence, here, with you, ruining your life?"

He only laughed and her and scoffed, "You're being ridiculous?"

For several minutes, Keely watched him again under intense scrutiny until she finally said, "Are you sleeping with anyone?"

Eliot immediately sputtered, spraying Keely and the entire table with the coffee he had just sipped. He started frantically wiping away at his mess, "What the hell is wrong with you? Why would you ask that?!"

Keely gently dabbed at the moisture that just accumulated on her face, not the least bit dissuaded. "Eliot since I've moved in, all you do is hang out at your condo or Nate's place. You don't go out, you don't have fun and you certainly don't bring any girls home." She stood up to clear the dishes, "I'm pretty sure that's the definition of ruining someone's life, especially a guy like you."

Keely could hear the scrapping of his chair as he stood up, "A guy like me, what does that mean?" In mid-dish rinsing Keely gulped. He had said it in his low purring voice, he only used when she was irritating him and he wanted to get under her skin. She turned around to find him already behind her, slowly closing in on her. She jerked backwards, slamming into the sink. It's rim pressed into her spine from trying to escape him. She stuttered, "I mean… I mean a guy that likes girls as much as you." He raised a brow. "And… and a… a guy who girls like…" she admitted. "A player!" she finally shouted, pointed a finger at him, as if that were the correct answer to his question.

Each palm struck the stink surrounding her, caging her in with his arms. Keely abruptly yelped and quickly covered her mouth. She could feel his breath on her hair and his lips curved into a wicked grin. A shiver ran down her spine. "A player, huh?" Keely closed her eyes and tried repeating her mantra under her breath.

There was one thing Eliot still enjoyed with her around and that was teasing her. He apparently figured out her reactions to him (Not surprising since she obviously was very poor at keeping it a secret.) For some weird reason Keely could not figure out, Eliot got a perverse and immense joy from being able to make her blush and sputter or jolt and jump, just like the first time she fell off the couch to avoid him checking the bandages under her shirt. He would purposely do things to make her uncomfortable and watch her squirm. Then the jerk would just grin or even laugh at her misery. It was like a brother who would put bugs in his sister's bed just to enjoy her terror.

The worst was one time he emerged from the shower in no more than a towel wrapped low around his waist. Dripping wet rivets rolling over layers of finely crafted muscle. Keely thought her eyes were going to bulge out. That alone was making her have heart palpitations and run into walls, but he chose that exact moment to insist that Keely's crooked necklace needed to be corrected. The moisture on his arms dripped onto her clothes. His eyes appeared impossibly blue as he grinned. He could have only done it to drive her half-crazy by standing inches away only half-naked and his fingers gently grazing neck. It had to have been some cruel joke for him. After finally breathing again, Keely was so embarrassed, her face was bright as a tomato and she tripped over herself several times to climb upstairs to her room and far away from him.

After that particularly mortifying event, she even went to Sophie for reinforcements. Keely had guy friends growing up, but nothing like this. She just wasn't used to having men in such close proximity, especially virile, gorgeous, practiced seducers like Eliot. It was causing her head to spin. Sophie was only too glad to help. She told Keely a story about a time on one of their jobs when in order to complete the con the very reluctant Eliot had to dress up as a drag queen! The team had taken photos without Eliot's knowledge and Sophie very generously showed them to her. Keely had laughed so hard at the image of Eliot in a wig, thick make up and fake bosom, tears were streaming down her face. She now used that image every time Eliot would purposely fluster her.

Still pressed against the sink, she mumbled over and over under her breath, "Eliot as a woman. Eliot as a woman. Eliot as a woman…"

Eliot frowned at her, "What are you saying?"

"Nothing!" she quickly retorted. In much better control of her emotions, she pressed her palm against his chest, creating more space between them. "Stop it Eliot. I know what you're doing."

He held up his hands and looked like an accused innocent child. "I don't know what you are talking about."

She cocked a brown at him and shook a finger, "You love driving me crazy and you know it! But I'm being serious here. When's the last time you went out and did something your really enjoyed? It's a Sunday. I hardly think you would usually spend the whole day at home. What would you do if I wasn't here?"

He leaned back against the refrigerator and crossed his arms, "Keely, come on you're being silly…"

She stamped her foot, "Just tell me!"

"Fine, fine! I would probably go work on my cars. But I'm not going to do that now. I won't leave you alone here and it would be insanely boring for you."

She walked past him to grab her coat, "I don't care. That's what we're doing. Let's go."

"Keely…"

"I mean it!"

Eliot watched her stamp across the room, "You know. Everyone thinks you're so sweet and gentle, but you are sneakily stubborn and forceful at times."

Keely opened the door and gestured for him to leave, "Exactly, so you shouldn't waste time arguing with me."

* * *

"Okay, here are your two chai teas." The coffee shop girl was ogling Eliot and giving such strong come hither messages, she might as well have been a call girl on the street. Keely rolled her eyes. His life was just plain outrageous. Normal people didn't walk down the street with girls throwing themselves at you from every direction. Eliot gave the girl a seductive smile as he took the two cups, "Thank you sweetheart." When he winked at her, Keely thought the girl was going to melt on the spot. As Eliot turned to hand her her tea, the girl shot her a look of such vehement hatred, Keely could only blink in shock at her. She almost felt obligated to explain the circumstances of her relationship with Eliot and that the tall willow thin brunette had nothing to worry about with little Keely Thomas. But then again she didn't want to give the mean girl the satisfaction.

Instead, she shook her head and smiled at Eliot as she took the cup, and said wistfully, "What it must be like, to be you." He grinned and took a sip of his tea, wiggling his brows over the lid, "I know, right."

Keely laughed as he took hold of her shoulder and led her out of the shop, "My garage is just a block away." They walked side by side on the crisp autumn day. Eliot looked over to see Keely frowning down at her tea. "Alright Keely, what is spinning around in your head? Spit it out."

Keely sighed, "I just hate that you're always the one that has to buy the tea and the food and everything else we do! I can't even once treat you to a freakin' tea!"

"First of all, I wouldn't even let you treat me, ever."

Keely rolled her eyes, but they still twinkled as she chuckled, "You Southern boys with your old fashioned sentiments."

"Damn right! And second, it's not like you're a bum who won't get a job. It's literally a life or death matter. You don't have any identity and can't have that much exposure."

"No, no, you see, I pretty much _am_ a bum. I have no income, no home, no job and am living off the charity of others. Yes, I believe bum covers it perfectly."

Eliot squeezed her shoulder affectionately, "It's hardly charity! And besides, it's just temporary, Darling. Once we find who is chasing you and stop them, you'll be back to your old life and you can buy as many teas for yourself as you want."

Keely skipped in front of him, walking backwards as she faced him. "Then will you let me treat you?"

"Hell no!"

Eliot led Keely to a metal door and punched in code. She followed him down the hallway. It was funny, Keely knew the Leverage team was very wealthy, but never really saw them use it. Sophie was the most obvious with her gorgeous clothes, place and art work. Although Keely wasn't sure how much of it was "collected" rather than bought. Hardison used hardly anything fancy at all and really only seemed to use his money on investments or high tech gadgets. Nate really only had the car and gave the rest to charity. Parker appeared practically destitute by her lifestyle. She preferred her money as only… money. Eliot had a nice place, but it wasn't in proportion to the wealth she knew he must have accumulated over the years, especially with Hardison's investments.

The lights flicked on and it was very clear how Eliot spent his money. It was cars. Very rare, very nice, very expensive cars. Although Keely did not know much about cars, she could tell they were all classics. She wasn't surprised Eliot valued older, traditional things that lasted. Under that skilled player and nearly superhuman fighting skills, he was a country boy at heart. I looked like he often worked on them himself too. Her gaze went to the walls covered with mechanical tools and equipment.

Eliot walked across the garage, staring at his cars like a kid with rows of candy, gently running his fingers along each hood. "Hello ladies." Keely smiled as well as she watched him. She was glad she made him come. It was probably difficult for him to be away for so long and she felt guilty that it was because of her.

Eliot lifted up one of the hoods and waved her over. "Come here, I want to show you something." As Keely joined him, he pointed to the engine. "You might as well learn something while you are here."

Keely stifled her laugh. If she spent enough time with Eliot and his cars here, she would end up learning a lot more about cars than he bargained for.

Eliot explained the inter workings of the engine and the differences between all of the models. He showed her the parts that were original and the parts he added and all of the tweaks he made, to make them leaner and faster. Practically all of the cars were racetrack ready.

He slid himself under one of the cars and Keely helped him by handing him tools. Keely placed a wrench in his outstretched hand, "When did you start working on cars?"

"I got my first car from a junk yard when I turned 14. It couldn't run at all so I worked on it everyday."

He held out the wrench and Keely replaced it with a nut driver. "How did you learn to do that?"

"My first job was a mechanic as well. I would work in the shop and in my free time would work on my own car as well."

Keely handed him a rachet. "They let a 14 year-old work there?"

"I looked older. You'll be surprised to know, I appeared very mature for my age."

Keely resting her chin on her hand, "Hmm, I'll bet."

"I spent two years on the car and by the time I turned 16 and could actually drive it, I was able to drive it out of that shop."

He took the skinny pliers she was holding out to him. "What happened to that car?"

"It's still around. I eventually gave it to my little… Hey!" He slid out from under the car and sat up, with grease and oil smudged over his stunned face. He held up the pliers as if they just manifested from thin air, "How do you keep doing that!?"

Keely blinked, "Doing what?"

"Handing me the right tools every time? I never said a word to you! I thought you said you didn't know anything about cars."

"I don't."

"Then how did you know?!"

Keely just stared at him. She was tired of coming up with stories to explain what she already told him. She was a bad liar to begin with and it always gave her a headache. If he didn't believe her that was his problem. She raised a brow, "Do you _really_ want to know?"

Eliot looked back at her for a long moment, taking in her exasperated expression and then glanced down at the pliers in his hand. "Actually… no." He went back down under the car again.

Keely was quiet for awhile, watching him as her mind drifted off in deep thought.

"Elliot?"

"Hmm?"

"I want to get a job."

There was a loud clang, followed by a roar of pain and colorful cursing. Eliot slid out, vibrating with temper and rubbing his now very red and bruised forehead. "You want a what?!"


	15. Chapter 15

"A what?" Everyone said in unison. Keely flinched at the force of their inquisition. She stood at the front of the screens, the team all seated on the couches surrounding her, completely baffled by her announcement. Eliot saw Keely's back literally straighten and her gaze focus with resolve. "I want to get a job."

Hardison tapped the table, "You do realize that you are in hiding right now, running for your life? Remember that? It's a little hard to do that if you try to get a job. You'd be back on the grid."

"Exactly!" Eliot shouted while he stood up and started pacing. He seemed to be doing that a lot more since he met Keely. "I told her the same thing. It's absolutely inconceivable, incredibly dangerous, and completely unnecessary."

Keely's brows furrowed, making that charming crinkle between her brows. She broke eye contact with him to speak to the rest of the team, knowing his opinion on the matter was already made. Eliot crossed his arms. He wasn't going to budge on this one. No matter how much she made him seem like the bad guy, it was for her own good.

"Look, I've been living off all of you for weeks now and it doesn't seem like it will end anytime soon either. You've given me a place to stay and food and clothes and everything else I could possibly need and I can give you nothing in return. All I'm asking is for a way to at least support myself or even help pay you back in some way. Heck, I can't even clean without people stopping me." Her eyes led back to Eliot, staring at him accusingly.

Nate chuckled and scratched his chin, "Money isn't really a problem for us Keely."

Hardison nodded, "It's barely a drop in the bucket for us." He emphasized it with a dropping and ping sound.

Keely's pressed her lips together. Eliot noticed she did that when she was really frustrated and trying to get a hold of her emotions. Proving him right, she took a deep steadying breath. "That's not the point. Imagine if it was you. I'm so appreciative of everything you have all done for me, but be honest… would any of you be able to handle it if you were in my position?"

There was a moment of silence as everyone considered it. If there was one thing thieves truly valued, it was their independence and pride.

Nate stood up and walked around the couches, "There is one thing I'm curious about though. How were you able to survive when you were on the run without revealing yourself, especially with your identity erased and no connections?"

Keely bit her bottom lip, "Sometimes I'd find work that didn't ask questions and paid cash, but those were a risk. Most of the time I'd.. I'd…" She glanced down at her toes and shuffled them shamefully. At that moment, Eliot started to get very _very _nervous.

"I…" she stammered with glossy eyes and swallowing over and over, "I had to do some things I'm not proud of."

Eliot froze, ice streaming through his blood, his hands shaking. What had those monsters forced _his _Keely into? _His _Keely who blushed beet red when he teased her and got flustered in racy movies and refused to ever jaywalk even if no cars were coming. What horrible things had she resorted to in order to survive? The thought of it made him see red.

He growled very slowly, "What… things…"

She dropped her face in her hands and then wailed, "I gambled! Okay. I bet on races and sports teams. It was the only way for me to make money to travel and live without revealing who I was. I'm not proud of it, but I had no other choice!"

Eliot felt the air and energy rush out of his body as he pressed his hands to the back of the couch for support, "God damn it Keely!"

Her blinked eyes stared at him in mystification "What?"

"You can't say things like that and make people think…" Her continued look of blank surprise made it clear she had no idea to what he was referring, further supporting his theory about her naïve and obtuse nature. "Betting? Really? That's what you are ashamed of? It's not even illegal."

"Well yeah, but with me it's basically cheating. I promised myself I would never use my abilities for my own profit. When I had to break that promise I felt just awful."

Eliot ran his hands through his hair. She was going to give him an ulcer by the time she was through with him.

Sophie leaned forward, "I understand what you're feeling Keely, I do. But how could you possibly even get a job? You'd need to use false identification and risk exposure. Even with Hardison's help, it would be extremely difficult."

"Fine. I get that, but let me help you."

Eliot's brows rose skeptically, not liking the latest turn of events, "Help us with what?"

"With your jobs. Help you help others."

Eliot slammed the back of couch and pointed a finger at her, yelling, "That is even less likely. Do you know how dangerous the work we do is? How could a civilian, with no fighting abilities or experience work with us? It would be more burdensome than helpful."

Keely lit with temper. Their golden color deepening to almost brown, "I'm not saying I'd punch out criminals or rappel down skyscrapers..."

"Why not?" Parker interjected, "It's fun."

Keely chose to ignore that statement. "But I _can_ help. I could act out part of a con or give you information on people. You know I _can _do that."

Eliot threw up his hands, "Acting out a con! You can't even fib without looking like you're choking on something. And for the millionth time, you are not actually psychic!"

Keely's fingers curled into tight fists, "All I'm asking for, is a chance to repay you in the only way I can. I know it will never be enough, but at least I can find some way to make my presence here just a little beneficial to you, so I don't feel completely useless and guilty for taking advantage of your sympathy."

Then she did it. What Eliot feared most. She looked up at them. It wasn't just any look. It was _the _look. She glanced up at them, with her wide glowing eyes peeking up through long dark lashes. Her thick lips pursed in a slight endearing pout. It was a look of such pure innocence, genuine pleading and absolute sweetness, it made you want to rip your heart out just to please her. That look could dissolve even the most ruthless and hard-hearted men. Eliot knew she was completely unaware she was even doing it and he was going to make sure she never found out she could. The power she could wield if she knew about it would make her lethal, to him in particular.

Parker was the first to crack. She threw her arm over her eyes as if to shield them from blinding sunlight, "For God's sake! Someone just give her what she wants so she stops doing that!"

Hardison eyed her and mouthed the word "sucker" to her. Parker grimaced and waved him away in response. Nate placed his hands in his pocket and rocked back on his heels, "It's not a matter of us wanting you to help with the jobs, it's a matter of it being plausible without jeopardizing you or the rest of us." Keely's expression grew even more heartbreaking. "But," Nate amended, "I have an idea." His smile made Keely beam with hope and made Eliot groan with trepidation. This was not good.

* * *

"Alright boys, are you ready to order?" Keely slipped out her notepad and gave the men at the booth her most congenial smile.

"She looks happy," Hardison commented as they watched her from the opposite corner of the bar.

Eliot growled, "This is so stupid. A waitress at the bar, are you kidding me? Do you know how many people will see her now?"

Nate took a sip from his mug, "I believe, I found the perfect solution. She didn't need to expose her identity, she is still within the safety of the bar and our observation and she feels like she's being useful and productive by having a job of her own. It's the best of all worlds."

Hardison held up his cup, "Hey Keels, another one please." Eliot jabbed him with his elbow. Keely smiled and bounced to the bar counter, her strawberry blonde ponytail swaying with her gait, "Sure thing. Coming right up."

Eliot watched her frolicking around in her jean shorts and black t-shirt and apron, twittering with joy and bubbling energy, but completely oblivious to the ogling smirks and winks of her customers as she leaned across the table to deliver their drinks. He growled again.

Sophie slapped his shoulder, "Stop scowling." Eliot took a sip of his beer, but his expression didn't lighten. "Hey," Sophie continued, "You know she's right. There's no telling how long she will be here. Hardison, do you have any more information on who or why those people are after her?"

Hardison shook his head, "It's weird. Other then recognizing some of their codes here and there, I can't find any information on them. Nuthing, nada. They're like freakin Houdini, man."

Eliot felt the thump of Sophie patting his back, "See, you can't expect her to hide in a dark hole for God knows how long. This is the safest option and one of us will always be close if she needs us. Can't you understand… She's essentially trapped here. At least this will give her some semblance of freedom. Don't you want that for her?"

Eliot's thoughts for a response, promptly vanished when Keely leaned over to pick up a napkin and one of her more inebriated and inappropriate customers swatted her behind flirtatiously. Keely jumped about a foot, grabbing hold of the offended area of her anatomy and whipping around to face her assailant with an aghast expression. She found a group of men who were 20 years her senior with drunk leering grins and taunting laughs. "Well, aren't you a sweet piece of strawberry tart."

His buddy elbowed him, "I'd love to order me a slice of that!"

Eliot stood up so fast, that the stool he was sitting on, flew across the floor. He was in a haze of fury. Images of breaking every bone in that man's hand, followed by breaking their yapping jaws overwhelmed him. He was striding across the room with such force that he barely noticed the restraining tension on both of his arms. Parker and Sophie were pulling against him with all of their might. They got in front of him and pushed his chest, finally stopping him only so he wouldn't run them over. "Hold it," Sophie shouted.

"Out of my way."

Parker poked his chest, "Keely will take care of it."

Eliot shook his head at them as if they had lost their minds, "Keely? Our Keely? She can't even curse, how is she supposed to stand up to them!"

Parker and Sophie glanced at each other, sharing a conspiratory smile. Sophie chuckled, "Oh I wouldn't worry about her. She can handle a lot more than you think?"

Sure enough, after the initial surprise and discomfort, Keely's embarrassed heated countenance cooled. She brushed herself off and sauntered towards the men with curved lips that could only be described as devious. She leaned forward and smiled, "Don't I know you from somewhere? You look awfully familiar."

The men hooted and cheered, "Why that you do dearie, I'm the man of your dreams." He patted his lap, "Why don't you park your fine keester down right here?" Keely's smile didn't fade with the additional taunts.

"No, I really mean it. I think I've seen you somewhere before." Her face brightened and she clapped her hands, suddenly enlightened, "Ah ha! I know. St. Paul's Elementary School. You're Mary's dad aren't you? I was her substitute teacher for a couple of months. How is your sweet Mary doing?" The man's beer dropped from his limp hand with a resounding thud, splashing it's contents all over the table. He looked positively ashen as he squeaked, "Fine."

Keely then turned to the man's companion, "And you are Mr. Collins aren't you?! I believe I know your wife. We are in the same gardening club." His eyes widened with horror. She patted his shoulder affectionately, "Well, she is a very fine woman. Does have a bit of a temper, but you can't help but admire a woman with that kind of authority, you know?" Mr. Collins couldn't even make an intelligible response. It was some kind of sound between a moan and a whimper.

Keely stood up straight with her hands on her hips, "Well do say hi to your families for me. Can I get anything else for you gentlemen?" They shook her heads vigorously. "Just the check then?" They nodded in unison. After paying the bill and leaving Keely a _very_ generous tip, they scrambled for the door as fast as their alcohol-laden legs could carry them.

Eliot still stood frozen half-way to rescue her, stunned in amazement. When they left he went over to her and took hold of her arm. "You okay?"

Keely laughed, wisps of her curls framing her face. "Come on Eliot, I'm not so helpless that I can't handle a few overly familiar drunks." She patted his cheek affectionately, "You're very sweet, but you worry too much." She bustled by him to grab another tray and deliver it.

Eliot plopped back onto his stool next to Hardison, feeling like he was being tricked, but wasn't sure by what. Hardison nudged him, "Hey how do you think she does it?"

"Does what," he grumbled. _Infuriate him, terrify him, make him feel like he was losing his mind. _

"No, I mean that thing where she knows stuff about you. Like she did with those guys. How did she know that much about their families? She does stuff like that all of the time."

Eliot gaffed and said with dripping sarcasm, "Well, you heard her. She's 'psychic.'"

Hardison rolled his eyes, "Well obviously, that's not true, but there has to be _some _way that she does it. What do you think?"

Eliot's eyes found Keely again, watching her as she leaned down to pat an elderly man on the back and give him a particularly warm smile as she handed him his coffee. "I think you have a theory and you're going to tell me whether I like it or not."

"I think she's a Sherlock."

"A what?"

"A Sherlock, you know, someone who can gain infinite amounts of information from small details. Like maybe, she saw a picture in that man's wallet earlier and was able to deduce he had a daughter that went to that school or the other man had some dirt on his jacket so she knew his wife was in a gardening club!"

At that exact moment, Keely tripped over a chair she hadn't seen and barely caught herself before she tumbled head over feet. Eliot glanced over to Hardison, "Does she seem that detail-orientated to you?"

Hardison shrugged, "Maybe she is just clumsy."

Eliot raised his glass half-way to his lips, "She once left the remote in the freezer. We couldn't find it for two days."

"Mmm."

"Another time she got lost… in my building."

Hardison winced, "Good point. Fine then, what do you think it is?"

Keely crouched to play peek-a-boo with a crying baby, making a complete fool out of herself, but the baby's shrieks turned into squeals of laughter.

Eliot spoke in a daze as if addressing no one in particular, "I think it's more of an intuition thing. She has this… ability to understand people. Even when you first meet her, she feels… familiar, you know. Like it's hard to hide anything from her. You start talking about things you never wanted to share with anyone and she didn't even have to ask, she just listens and gets it better than you do. And she just makes you feel…" Eliot trailed off when he realized everyone in the crew was staring at him and he had just been on a rambling tangent. Something he _never _did, _ever_.

He cleared his throat and downed the rest of his beer, avoiding eye contact with them, especially Sophie, who was examining him with those dark perceptive eyes and all-knowing smile.


	16. Chapter 16

Eliot opened the door and dropped his keys on the counter at the same time Keely dropped herself onto the couch and whipped off her shoes. "Goodness gracious, my feet are killing me. I've haven't stood for that long in forever."

Eliot watched her rubbing her aching feet and inspiration struck him as he grinned diabolically. He decided to get back at her for all the angst she'd caused him today. He sat down next to her, "Here let me help." Lightening fast, he grabbed hold of her foot and started massaging it. Keely jerked back hastily, but he held on tight, not letting her escape. He nearly chuckled at the sight of her. He loved that expression she made when he riled her. Her eyes were huge and round and golden. An enchanting blush filled her cheeks, like she had been out in the sun all day. Even her fingers had a white knuckled grip on the couch armrest for support. The vixen that had easily been able to tell off those bastards at the bar earlier completely vanished.

Eliot continued to rub her feet, pressing down the center with his thumb. Giving massages was one of the many things he did very well. Having enough, Keely jerked so hard, she nearly kicked him to get away and just caught herself before tumbling off the couch all together.

He smiled at her, seeming like he hadn't the slightest clue he'd rattled her. "All better now?"

She started babbling rapidly, "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. It's fine, thanks."

Then her lips curved and she slowly smiled, her real genuine smile. Eliot could tell her mind was drifting and she was grinning at memories. "Today was just a crazy day you know." She laughed and ruffled the back of her hair.

"But you liked it."

Keely nodded quickly, her smile not fading. "Yeah, I really really did."

Eliot sighed. What could he do? Hardison was right. She was happy. There was really no arguing about it now.

Keely got up, "Well, I'm exhausted so I'm going to head up."

"Night Keels."

As she walked behind him, Eliot was surprised to suddenly feel her arms wrapped tightly around him, her cheek against his ear. She was so close her smell was overwhelming, like strawberries and honey and sweeter than any human should ever be.

"Thank you," she murmured into his ear, closer than she probably meant to and certainly unintentional in the electric current it sent through him. "I know you were against this, but today was a really great day. It was the first time in years that I've felt normal. Like this was a real life instead of just pretending. I really appreciate it so… thank you." She turned to kiss his cheek and skipped up the stairs. It wasn't a particularly long or lingering kiss. Probably most closely resembled a kiss a sister would give her big brother good night. Eliot pressed his hand against his check. It didn't at all explain the burning sensation it left behind.

* * *

The ear piercing wretched scream had Eliot leaping off his bed and careening up the stairs instantly. He knew the voice immediately.

Keely.

He flew open the door and burst into her room, crouched and ready to attack. His gaze raked over every corner and window, scanning for any stupid and soon comatose intruders. But there was no one. Only Keely. She was still shrieking hysterically, but she was in her bed. Her body was contorted and bent in her twisted sheets. Her eyes were still squeezed shut. Her wails of terror and pain were only like one he heard before… on the video Hardison had shown him when Keely was being tortured.

Eliot was by her side, trying to sooth her. He gently took hold of her face, brushing back her hair, rubbing his thumb pad along her cheek and brow. "Keely, Keely, you have to wake up!." It wasn't working. The nightmare was too intense and deep. She was drowning in it and couldn't break free. God, her face was warped in such agony. She desperate gripped the sheets, seeking for some relief. He hoped he'd never see her look like this again in a thousand lifetimes.

He then lifted her up and wrapped his arms around her, hugging her to him, as tightly as he could to calm her thrashing. "Come on Baby Girl. It's Eliot. I'm here. It's not real. You have to wake up." He said it over and over as he rocked her, rubbing her back, willing with all of his might for her to stop and wake up.

Finally her screams stopped, replaced by panting breaths and quiet sobbing. Her resistance against him flowed away and she gripped the back of his T-shirt tightly like a lifeline. "That's it." Eliot said as he continued holding her, "You're okay. It was just a nightmare. No one is hurting you. I wouldn't let them."

Keely said nothing as he held her, refusing to loosen her hold. They sat like that for quite awhile, until Keely's sobbing ebbed and her breathing slowed. Eliot could feel her rapid racing heart finally return to normal. Then he pulled back to look at her. He pushed back her mass of tangled hair. _Oh, his sweet girl._ He hated seeing her like this. Her usual warm honey eyes were red and her round soft cheeks were wet from the tears. Her face was ashen, empty of all its rosy glow.

Then he saw it and his eyes narrowed. It at first thought it was part of her shirt, but he realized now… it was a scrape of fabric loosely tied and hanging around her neck. He hooked it with his finger. "What the hell is this?"

Keely's eyes grew huge and her face lost even more color. Eliot reached for it and using his bare hands, ripped it in two. Keely gasped as Eliot stood up and held it in front of her face. Eliot felt his temper boil to the point he thought he might explode. "What the hell is this Keely!?"

Keely pressed her lips together, looking down at her hands, but remained silent. "Is this a God damned gag Keely!? Why the hell are you wearing this when you're sleeping?! Do you do this every night?!"

He grabbed her shoulders and shook her, probably harder than he should to someone who recently had a traumatizing nightmare, but he was so furious and horrified on her account, he couldn't stop. "Answer me!"

She just looked up at him. Her wet eyes solemn and dark. That gave him his answer. Eliot hissed as if he had been burned. Clutching the torn fabric in his fist, his veins throbbing. He shook his fist, growling through clenched teeth. "Why?"

Keely's gaze didn't waver. It was as serious as he had ever seen her. She spoke in a weak and dejected voice, "I had no choice. I couldn't control the nightmares or myself screaming. It brought too much attention to myself when I needed to be invisible. One time my screams scared the neighbors and they called the police. I had to run again because they found me once the police did. Ever since then…" She touched Eliot's hand, gently uncurling his finger and taking the gag. "… I had to make sure no one heard my cries. It was too dangerous. It must have slipped off tonight."

"God damn it, Keely!" Eliot stood up and paced, raking his fingers through his hair repeatedly and taking deep breaths to calm down. He pointed at the gag like it was a vile vermin. "You are never to use that thing again. Do you hear me? Never!"

"But…" Eliot felt his rage rise again and it must have shown on his face because Keely's snapped her mouth shut and just nodded slightly.

"Come on," he took hold of her hand and pulled her out of the bed. She sputtered, "Wh…what, where are we going?"

He led her towards the door, "You're sleeping downstairs from now on. Next to my room."

"What!" She started dragging her feet, but Eliot kept pulling, making the rug bunch underneath her. "No, no, I'm not!" At least the color was returning to her cheeks. "That's not necessary. I'm fine here. It's just bad dreams."

He whipped around and Keely slammed against his chest. "Keely, they are not just bad dreams. I've had nightmares, horrible ones. I've seen others with nightmares that they wake from screaming and dripping in sweat. Yours are beyond nightmares. You're reliving that torture they put you through over and over again. Night after night. I may not be able to stop it, but you will no longer do it alone and you certainly will no longer suffer it in silence. You are sleeping next to me, so when I hear you, I can wake you as quickly as possible. It will still be terrible, but it won't last as long." He leaned in close, so that they were now nose to nose, "And that is not up for discussion."

* * *

Keely was wrapped in a blanket seated on the couch. Eliot handed her the warm cup of tea. "Thank you. I always have a hard time falling back asleep after the bad ones." She wrapped her hands around the mug and blew. Eliot was relieved to see that other than general exhaustion, her appearance had returned to her usual self.

He sat next to her on the couch, the extra weight bringing her closer to him. "How often do you have them?"

Keely shrugged, "Not that often." Eliot raised a brow at her. "I'm serious," she said defensively. "At least… not every night and not nearly as often as I used to."

"The nightmares… they are about when they took you?"

Keely nodded hesitantly. Eliot leaned forward on his knees, "You never talk about it. You say what happened before and after, but never what happened there."

"I honestly don't remember much. I think they kept me drugged most of the time. Just fuzzy images and strong feelings." She clutched the neck of her shirt, "I remember feeling trapped and desperate. No matter what I said or did, I couldn't get away from..." She swallowed trying to regain her composure.

"They'd poke and prod and pump me full of drugs that made me sick. They would make me do bizarre things with tons of people and cameras watching my every move. They'd ask me questions over and over again and if I didn't give the answers they liked, they'd… hurt me.

The doctors kept wanting me to do something. I didn't know what. I'd ask them... _beg_ them to just tell me what they wanted. But they acted like I was supposed to know. I got the feeling they thought I was holding out on them. But believe me…" a few big tears dripped slowly down her face, "I would have done anything to make it stop, to get away."

Eliot reached around her, gently pressing her head towards him. His kissed her temple and urged her head to rest against his shoulder. Keely snuggled against him.

He lifted their joined hands to look at them, "I don't make very many promises Keely. There are very few things I have complete faith in and I also believe that when someone makes a promise, they keep it, no matter what. But I promise you, that will never happen again. I promise I will never let them take you and you will never go back there."

Eliot could feel her sigh against his neck. "Just don't do anything too reckless Eliot. I would just die if something happened to you."

It was the second time, she had said that to him, but Eliot had the feeling she meant it differently this time.

He smiled and patted her leg, "Me? Reckless? Never."


	17. Chapter 17

Keely piled the empty plates onto her tray and quickly bustled into kitchen to deposit them in the sink. Eliot watched in amazement as she swept through the door with those ever-present dimples and glowing eyes. He wouldn't have been able to believe the transformation from the wretched anguished creature last night to this bubbling cherub, if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes.

He had always felt Keely was cute and endearing, but also somewhat ridiculous in her oblivious and overly cheerful nature. Not to mention the fact she had this bizarre delusion that she was actually psychic! Part of him just patted her on the head and never took her seriously. He just assumed she didn't fully know or had blocked out what had happened to her in that lab. How could she be, the way she was, otherwise? Now he knew how very _very_ wrong he was about her. She was simply remarkable.

Keely lived everyday with horrors and darkness that rivaled his own past and she had emerged with her integrity intact and her soul clean. Something he couldn't even claim. She was stronger than he ever gave her credit for.

While walking, he saw her suddenly freeze. His brow furrowed at her in speculation. _What was going on with her?_ Her mouth was slightly gaped and her eyes were wide and glazed over as if some shocking person from her past had just stepped before her. But the space in front of her was empty. She stared hauntingly right into the eyes of nobody at all. Then Eliot saw her hands, clutching the tray in a death grip, and he moved towards her. _What she in pain? What she having some kind of panic attack?_ Before he reached her, it saw whatever had a hold of her, simply melt from her body. She snapped her mouth shut and starting walking again, even smiling as she passed him as if nothing had happened at all.

He was going to ask what was wrong, but she was already clear across the bar, at the counter where Parker and Hardison were sitting. She leaned over Hardison's shoulder to ask him something and squeezed his shoulder affectionately.

Eliot caught more of their idle chitchat as he came closer…

Hardison shook his head, "No, after I got into the hacking and thievery business, I made sure nothing about me could be traced back to Nana and vice versa."

Keely frowned, "Well, if she doesn't have your number how can she contact you?"

"Hey no worries. I take care of my own. I have my ways to make sure she is okay."

Parker slurped the rest of her root beer float, "You put cameras in her house. Didn't you?"

Hardison dropped his head downcast, "Yes, yes I did… but I call and check in every once in awhile."

"How long?"

"Huh?"

"How long since you called, Alec?"

Keely was using her disapproving teacher's voice, which made you want to crawl under the table.

Parker slammed her fists on the table, making the bottles and glasses shake. "Yeah! How long Hardison?!"

Hardison was completely taken aback by the sudden double-pronged attack, "Umm… umm a few weeks I guess?"

"A few weeks? You need to call her right now."

"Call your Nana right now! Now! Now!" Parker echoed with more force.

Hardison threw up his hands in defeat, stumbling off his stool to go upstairs, "Fine, fine I'll do it. Jeez… you scary… she… devils..."

Parker grinned in triumph, but Keely let out a breath of relief.

* * *

The next day, the entire crew stood in front of Hardison's Nana's house. They were outside Chicago in the area Hardison lived, and as he described, it was not an easy place to grow up in. Hardison explained to Keely in the flight over that he offered to have his Nana move, saying he would get her a place anywhere she wanted. She adamantly refused, saying this is where her family and friends were, so this was her home. No room for discussion.

Keely glanced up and over the houses on either side. One thing was definitely not like the others. Nana's house wasn't lavish, but was noticeably bigger and in perfect condition. All the other houses surrounding it were dilapidated, dark, and in desperate need of repair. Her house was a warm and inviting, with steps leading up to a wide porch, and wicker furniture beckoning lounging guests. There were two stories and the tall windows had freshly painted blue shutters. A beautiful flower garden surrounded the building.

It made Keely smile.

_Hardison _

He must be responsible for the changes. He may not have been able to get her to move, but he did find a way to make his Nana more comfortable.

As they made there way up the steps, her warm fuzzy feelings were dampened by the grouchy lion prowling beside her.

Eliot grumbled under his breath. "I can't believe this. We're bringing her on jobs now!"

Keely frowned, trying not to be too offended. "Well, what do you suggest Elliot? I offered to stay behind."

"And leave you by yourself, unprotected? Never gonna happen."

She shrugged and lifted her hands, showing he just answered his own question.

"Well, why didn't I stay behind as well? Why do I have be here?"

Keely just looked at him and huffed with exasperation, "Because it's Hardison. It's his family we're talking about. He needs you."

That shut Eliot right up.

Keely felt Parker pressed against her back. She glanced at her and then looked closer, "Are you okay?"

She most certainly did not look okay. She was nearly dead white and appeared as terrified as most people did when they were about to base jump off of a skyscraper. "I'm… I'm just not that good at these kind of things."

Hardison rang the doorbell and Parker clutched Eliot's shirt sleeve. Eliot furrowed his brow with irritation and tried to yank his arm away. Parker just held on tighter. "Get off," he growled and tried to put distance between them.

Keely whapped the back of his head.

"Ahh, damn it! What was that for?!"

"Be nice. She's already fragile."

"Parker?! Fragile?! Are we talking about the same person?"

Keely and Sophie just sighed.

Sophie leaned over and whispered, "He doesn't know women as well as he thinks he does."

Keely rolled her eyes, "Obviously."

Nate was standing in the back of the crowd, trying to unsee the scene before him, rubbing his eyes with vexation and greatly wishing for a drink.

He already knew he was going to hate this job.

* * *

The door opened and a little lady burst through, embracing Hardison before Keely really got a change to study her. "My baby!" She was petite. Hardison nearly folded in half to hug her. She was barely 5 feet tall with a wirey build. Yet you could tell there was an immense might in that small form. If a thief ever tried to snatch her purse, something told Keely, Nana could take him down. Her face was unlined and if it wasn't for the grey in her curly hair you wouldn't be able to tell she was old enough to be a grandmother at all.

She held Hardison's cheeks between her hands and gazed up at him fondly, "My sweet boy. Look how handsome you've become. It's been too long since I've seen you."

Hardison beamed, "I've missed you too Nana." He gestured towards them, "Nana, these are my friends. They're here to help."

Nate and Sophie stepped forward first, "Mrs. Hardison. It is truly a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh please, call me Nana. I've heard so much about you from Alec, I feel as if I already know you."

When she reached Parker, Keely did a double-take when she saw Parker mysteriously reveal a potted plant from apparent thin air. Part cactus, part dead and part alien. It was one of the ugliest things Keely had ever seen. Not to mention, it had a rank odor.

Sophie mouthed over Parker's head in horror, "Where did she get that?"

Keely threw up her hands, shook her head and mouthed back, "I have no idea."

Parker thrust the monstrosity in Nana's face. Nana took a step back, covering her mouth with her hand to spare herself from breathing in its stench. Parker was clueless to the plant's poor reception. "I know old people like plants. Here ya go." Hardison groaned, rubbing his hand over his face.

Not being able to stand it, Keely jumped in to intercede. She wrapped her arm around Parker's shoulder and shot Nana her most radiant smile, "I'm sorry Nana. We're all a little out of sorts. We are just too excited to meet you. Hardison has told us so many wonderful things about you that it's almost like meeting a legend!"

Nana awkwardly took the plant and studied Keely, taking in her sweet friendly deposition, girl next-door appearance, and polite manners. Keely was an in-law's dream.

Her expression lightened, "Are you Parker?" Hardison cursed and started stomping around the porch. Keely winced and shook her head. "No, I'm new here. My name is Keely." She put out her hand to warmly shake Nana's. She hesitantly patted Parker's shoulder, "This would be the infamous Parker."

Parker gave an awkward curtsy, especially since she was wearing pants. "How do you do sir… I mean miss. I mean… maham?"

Nana looked as if she had been slapped in the face with a mackeral. Hardison exuberantly clapped his hands, "Well, that's enough of… that. Do you feel a draft? I feel a draft. Let's go in. Chilly."

* * *

Keely shoved the mug into Parker's hands and whispered, "Bring it to her."

Parker shoved it back, "Why? She can obviously get it herself. She's not an invalid."

"That's not the point!" Keely grumbled, pushing it back.

"What's going on over there." Nana shouted from the dining room table.

Keely kicked Parker's shin in frustration and gritted her teeth into a smile, "I'm just bringing some tea for you Nana."

When Keely walked through the doorway, she delivered the mug. Nana patted her cheek and looked at Hardison meaningfully. Keely groaned under her breath. _This was not good._

Nana reached for Hardison's hand. "Baby, you remember Max?"

Hardison shrugged, "Sure, he came right around the time I left." He whistled, "He was a troubled kid. Drugs, juvie record… he was a mess. No one would even take him. That is… until Nana came along." He squeezed her hand, beaming at her with pride.

Nana patted his hand, "I can't deny Max was troubled child. He was so angry, but he had a right to be. The world hadn't done him any favors and he reacted in kind." She looked up staring right at Nate, "Mr. Ford, I know better than anyone, Max's history. It took a lot of hard work and trials, but Max got clean and turned his life around. He is finishing his high school credit and is trying to get into a college. He even volunteers in the hospital a couple of times a week because he wants to work in medicine."

She sighed, "That's where the trouble began. They are saying he was involved in sneaking drugs out of the hospital and selling them. That's why he is in jail now. My Max was not involved in any of that! He is a good boy!"

Nate cleared his throat, "Mrs. Hardison, is there any chance Max slipped back into his old habit? Could he be involved in some way?"

Nana sat up straighter in her chair, appearing at valiant as a warrior on a battlefield, "Mr. Ford, I have worked with and raised children with difficult pasts for more than 40 years. I can spot the signs of an addict better than any cop or doctor. I know, I don't guess, when one of my kids falls off the wagon. I can promise you that Max wasn't using. He was clean for three years, before this mess was pinned on him. I would bet my life on it."

Nate smiled and nodded, "That's good enough for me."


	18. Chapter 18

(Before I started the next chapter I just wanted to say how upset I am that they cancelled Leverage. I think it is a very premature ending to an amazing show. It is my very favorite show and I'm sad to see it end. I even debated as to whether I should continue to write this Fanfiction, but I decided that since the series didn't end the way I wanted it to, at least _my _Leverage story would end the way I envision. I will write it until the end. I hope you enjoy it. Thank you.)

Nate leaned forward, interlacing his fingers, "Mrs. Hardison, you think Max was arrested because he volunteered at the hospital?"

Nana nodded, "A week ago Max came back from the hospital and told me that he realized some of the supplies were missing." Nana shook her head, "Poor child was so proud of himself. He realized it and immediately told his supervisor about the miscalculation. He thought it proved that he was valuable to the hospital.

Next thing we know, cops are busting through our door and dragging my Max away in handcuffs! Claiming _he _had taken the missing drugs.

Mr. Ford why would someone alert the authorities to missing drugs, if _they _were the ones who took it.

Nate leaned forward and shook his head, "They wouldn't."

Nate glanced over at Hardison's laptop screen that was already displaying the police report, information on the hospital, and Max's background.

Nate pointed, "It says here that Max is 19. Don't children only receive foster care until they are 18. Why was he still living here?"

Nana frowned, "Mr. Ford, Max was mine. He will always be mine. I took responsibility for him and I loved him from that moment on. I don't take care of children for funding and I certainly don't throw them out on their 18th birthday. They don't stop being my children the moment they are a legal adult. This will always be there home and they can stay as long as they need to."

She paused for a moment and then pointed her thumb at Hardison, "Unless you're him! He wouldn't leave!"

"Nana!" Hardison wailed. Eliot was convulsing with laughter. Keely stomped on his foot, glaring at him harshly.

Nana stood up, continuing her scolding, "A full-scholarship to MIT and the fool doesn't even last a year! Five colleges he got kicked out of. Five!" She shook her finger at the miserable and shrinking Hardison, "You've got more brains than common sense! The last time he came home, he said he was planning to stay for good. Well, I turned him right around again. He's got enough brains to cure cancer and all he wants to do is sit in his room with a computer? Nuh uh! I wasn't going to have that for a second. He needed to get out and make something of himself."

Nana plopped down in her chair again, "So Mr. Ford sometimes you need to let children have a supportive home they can always come back to… and sometimes you need to kick their butt to the curb."

Eliot was still stifling his laughter and Parker rubbed her hands together in glee, "This is providing surprisingly good intel." She furiously took notes in her tiny black spiral notebook

Hardison was nearly under the table at this point, looking up at his Nana like a kicked puppy. "Can we please just get back to the part of proving Max's innocence and finding the real bad guys at the hospital?"

Eliot turned and whispered in Keely's ear, "This is awesome."

Keely sighed, "Why is it so hard for you to just be nice?" She patted Hardison on the shoulder and then glared at Eliot meaningfully.

"I'm… nice!" Eliot mumbled in defense. He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, obviously not a fan that Keely was taking Hardison's side.

Back at the hotel room, the large tv screen showed the image of a middle-aged white man, so normal he was hardly noticeable. Nate stepped in front of the screen and pointed.

"Max only reported the missing drugs to his supervisor, the director of the hospital. He has to be involved in some way. He is our bread crumbs leading us to the true operation. We need to break him first." Hardison clicked his remote at the screen. With the images the same supremely average man in various activities floating across the screen. "Meet Darius Vanpelt. Old money. His family has been running hospitals since practically the creation of hospitals. He's a doctor, but not an impressive one. He had to get his medical degree at an overseas school that would actually let him in. He is definitely the black sheep of a very prestigious well accomplished family, not to mention having his fair share of vices. Gamblings, drugs, women… you name it… he did it."

Hardison clicked again showing the hospital's financial records, "His misuse of the hospital funds ran it into the ground. Vanpelt was practically brankrupt, until a year ago. There are mysterious deposits in his accounts of astronomical proportions."

Nate paced, "That's it. Sinking the hospital and unable to face the additional family shame, Vanpelt resorted to alternative and illegal sources of income."

Parker scoffed, "Well, that's great, but how do we prove Max wasn't involved."

Nate smiled, "We trap him into an even bigger scandal and his guilt will prove Max's innocence.

Let's go steal a hospital."

Mid-way to the door the crew stopped and swiveled, facing the bed. Keely sat on the bed shoving her microwave popcorn into her mouth and staring at them with fascinated and enraptured eyes.

Once Keely realized they were looking at her, she cleared her throat, "Sorry, I just got a little absorbed there. You guys are amazing. I can't believe I'm finally seeing you in action."

Keely hopped up and brushed the popcorn kernals off, "So I believe we were going to go do something."

Nate cleared his throat, "Yes… the hospital…"

"Of course! Let's go steal a hospital." Keely skipped out of the door, practically squealing with delight.

Nate scowled at Sophie, "That's… that's supposed to be my line."

Sophie patted him on the back, "I know. I know love, but you did say it first."

Nate grumbled as he shuffled out the hotel door.


	19. Chapter 19

Keely laid on her stomach, sprawled across the bed. Her mouth was buried against her forearm, while the other hand lazily clicked through channels on the remote. _God she was bored_. In frustration, she groaned and flipped over on her back, chucking the remote across the hotel room floor and throwing her arm over her eyes.

For two days now, they had her trapped in this nondescript uneventful room, and despite her exuberant pleading they wouldn't let her leave. If she watched one more reality tv or talk show she was going to start losing faith in humanity. She couldn't even remember the last time she was this bored. At least that was one advantage to being chased by a covert laboratory agency… it kept you occupied. This was driving her crazy. She was starting to get severe cabin fever.

If they were home, she could've hung out with Hardison in the van or puttered around Elliot's apartment secretly doing housework or even gone to the bar, but since Hardison's face recognition blocking software was still being tested in this new area, she wasn't allowed a toe outside, in case she was seen.

She hated to say it, but she actually wished for a vision. Something to update her on how the team was doing or give her some insight to help them. But so far… nothing, nada, zip. She knew as much as everyone else, which was very little.

Sighing again, Keely pulled herself up, dragged herself off the bed and went to retrieve the remote. She decided to give up and order a movie. She was trying to avoid ordering anything to the room, but she couldn't stand watching this trash anymore.

She laid on the bed again, her palm smushing and pulling up the left side of her face as she leaned against it. Distractedly skimming movie titles, she found one that seemed interesting. Something about a girl who explores jungles and finds a wild man and falls in love with him. Sort of Tarzan-ish and just the kind of cheesy feel-good romantic movie to take her mind off of worrying about the team and the God-awful reality tv girls pulling each others' hair for all sleeping with the same guy.

Keely hummed to herself happily as the story unfolded on screen. Her brow furrowed as she watched. _Something about this wasn't quite right. _She knew it was going to be low-budget, but this quality and acting was just plain ridiculous. Her questions were answered when a very naked and graphic scene appeared. Keely screamed in horror and shock, shielding her eyes as if someone had sprayed them with pepper spray. Unable to find the remote without uncovering her eyes, she began throwing pillows at the TV, hoping to make the vile images and sounds disappear.

Just at that moment, the team stepped through the doorway. Hardison was glancing down at his phone. "You ordered a porno?"

Still covering her face, Keely wailed defensively, "I didn't know what it was!" She waved her hand furiously towards the screen, "Turn it off! Turn it off! Turn it off!"

Hardison clucked his tongue, "How could you not know what it was? It was called "Jungle Fever" and it was in the Adult Movie section."

"I thought it meant an actually fever, like someone was sick. It's a jungle. It's not that far-fetched. For God's sake, someone turn it off!"

Sophie mercifully switched off the screen and with a chuckle announced the coast was clear. With a breath of relief Keely finally uncovered her eyes.

Everyone was grinning at her in amusement, except Eliot, who was bowed over and leaning against the wall. Keely first thought was that he had to look away from the disturbing display before him, but upon closer inspection she realized the jerk was convulsing with laughter! He was laughing so hard he could barely breath and couldn't even stand fully.

Her brows creased, "It's not _that _funny."

Between relentless laughter, Eliot managed to get enough breath to speak, "Are you kidding?! Of all people to walk in on watching a porno, it was you! And you were screaming like you were being murdered… and throwing pillows… like that was actually going to stop it." He erupted in another fit of hysterics. Unable to resist any longer, the rest of the team joined him.

When they finally recovered, they found Keely still scowling with crossed arms. "Are we finally better now? If the hilarity is over can someone please tell me what happened today?"

_The con was first to sabotage Vanpelt's drug business, thereby forcing him into alternative sources of revenue. The team would swoop in with an offer to sell Vanpelt a full-proof fake prognosis system. It was supposed to be so convincing that even doctors would be fooled. The idea was someone would come into the hospital with a mild illness or injury and be convinced they had a far worse disease. The hospital could charge astronomical amount for illnesses people didn't have and the best part was it would cost nothing to cure them since they weren't sick to begin with. At least, that was what Vanpelt would think. After he bought the program, they would trap him with it. _

Sophie groaned and dropped herself onto the couch, "Don't bring that up."

"What happened? I thought you said Vanpelt was an easy mark, easily manipulated and fooled?"

Nate rubbed his hand over his face and sat beside Sophie. "_He_ is. His mysterious business partner, who clearly calls the shots, is not. He insists on testing the program with people with injuries rather than an illness. Illnesses can be imitated with fake blood tests or forged medical charts.

"How do you fake an injury severe enough to be sent to the hospital for?"

Nate groaned, "You don't."

Eliot shot up his hand, "I volunteer to beat up Hardison."

Hardison chuckled sarcastically, "Ha, ha. Nice try. You need me to run the simulation of the fake illness in the first place! Can anyone else do that but me? No? No! I didn't think so!"

Hardison stood and brushed himself off, still bristling with indignation. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go get everything for the con… again. Unless, of course, one of you, would like to go instead. Right, I didn't think….

"Me! Me! Me!" Keely shot up so quickly and waved her hand in the air so enthusiastically, she rolled off the bed. Landing on the floor with a hard thump, she raised her hand again, breathing heavily, "I'll go. Whatever it is, I'll go."

* * *

"I've never seen anyone so excited to just run errands."

Keely bounced as she walked, "I'm just excited to be out of that room is all. Anywhere sounds good to me."

Eliot chuckled and pulled on her hat, "You look like a baby turtle."

Keely scoffed, "Do not!"

She glanced at the glass window. In an effort to hide her appearance she wrapped a scarf to her nose, wore thick round sunglasses, a beanie hat, and big puffy jacket.  
"Oh, I actually do."

"It's quite stunning," Eliot nodded at her with a smirk.

Keely shrugged, she was trying to be invisible. She couldn't very well stay fashionable at the same time.

'Well, it looks like the electronics store is over there. Hardison already has every gadget known to man. I don't know why he needs all of this junk."

"You didn't have to come if you didn't want to. I'm the one who volunteered."

Eliot scoffed as if she were an imbecile and she should already know the answer, "Where you go, I go. End of story."

Eliot didn't see, but under her thick scarf, Keely had a huge smile.

Keely shuffled along after Eliot, bouncing awkwardly in her oversized coat and trying to keep up. Then she abruptly jerked to a halt and dropped to the sidewalk on her knees, gripping her scalp. The image plundering her brain was intense, painful, and real. It took Eliot a moment to realize she wasn't near him. He turned to find her nearly collapsed on the ground and raced towards her. Just as he was about to reach out and pick her up, she bolted upright and took off in the opposite direction. Sprinting across the street as fast as he had ever seen her move.

Bewildered to petrifaction, Eliot hesitated momentarily and followed her, "Keely!" He took off after her, but was stopped by a truck blaring its horn, narrowly missing him. "Keely!" he roared again. The traffic was too heavy. He couldn't get through! Keely was still running, somehow miraculously avoiding every car. He had eyes on her, until her mane of red-golden hair disappeared behind an alley way. Eliot cursed and ran to find another way across the street.

Keely ran perfectly. Every muscle, her breathing, even her heartbeat was in perfect unison for her to run as fast as her body could take her. Anyone watching her would think she looked more gazelle than human, an amazing feat for an oblivious and clumsy girl. But this was no ordinary situation. It was one of those moments where she let her body take over, moving on its own without any thought. Her body seemed to know where to go and how to move, even though _she _didn't. Usually when this happened, part of her fought the sensation, not liking the feeling of being out of control of herself. But after the vision she had just witnessed, fear and desperation made her give over to her _Sight. _

She weaved through alleys and streets, leaping and ducking under obstacles in her path, her relentlessly rapid pace never diminishing.

She turned a corner and ran towards a ramshackle building and raced up the rusting metal stairs. When she reached the top she didn't even bother with the door, but took a running leap, throwing her back against the adjacent window. She broke through, crashing onto the floor inside in an explosion of glass shards. It might have been painful, but her body wasn't letting her feel pain at the moment.

She pulled herself up, looked over the disjointed pieces of glass rained across the apartment floor towards a boy and a man staring at her, frozen in the moment from the shock of having a women jump through their window. The man was enormous, a regular giant with big meaty fist and ruddy swollen cheeks from too much drinking. The small boy's clothes were falling apart and covered in filth. Bruises and welts covered his scrawny arms and legs. Wet stains of the tears he had shed covered his dirty and scraped cheeks.

The man had the boy's wrist in a death grip, holding it over a stovetop. The boy was pulling away with all of his might, but it might as well have been a gnat battling a bull. The man's other hand was poised over the stove dial to turn it on.

With a howl of pure genuine anguished wrath, Keely charged. The man was still so surprised at her presence he couldn't react. Keely raced towards him at full speed and despite the difference in their size, wrapped her arms around his middle and managed to knock him to the ground. Keely attacked him like a starved unleashed wild animal. She struck him again and again with anything she could, kicking, hitting, scratching, knowing the moment she stopped, he would come after both her and the boy.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the boy still in the room. Crouched in the corner, but not moving. "Run," she cried, "Get out now!" That brief moment was all the man's needed to take a swing at her. His fist hit her face. Keely was knocked across the room, seeing stars and her cheek and jaw on fire with roaring pain. She couldn't stop though. The boy was still here. The anger at what this monster had done and was about to do that child, gave her strength to strike back again. She picked up a chair and threw it at him.

It stopped him briefly, but it wasn't enough. Blood streamed down his livid puffy face from where her nails had dug into his skin. He stalked towards her, Keely tried to duck and turn to get away, but he caught her hair and pulled. She screamed as he lifted her up and struck her again. Keely kicked at him, hitting him in the groin. Crying out and doubling over, he tossed her towards the oven. Keely landed against it with a reverberating clang.

She reached out, her fingers fumbling to grip any kind of weapon. They closed over a metal pot. She swung at him as he came towards her again. She aimed for his head, but he was too tall and only managed to strike his shoulder, which made contact with a dull thump. He grabbed hold of the arm holding the pot and twisted violently, Keely heard the sickening snap. She screamed in agony. He had broken it. The nauseating and overwhelming pain nearly made her faint. He then lifted her by her collar and threw her against the wall with so much force it cracked the wood. The pain and shock to her body was too much. She tried to prop herself upright, but kept dropping to the ground. Everything hurt. She couldn't breathe. Then she heard him growl. "You stupid little bitch. Who the hell are you? You come into my home and attack me! I'll teach you a lesson you'll never forget."

He kneeled over her, those sledgehammer fist pounding into her again and again. Keely tried to fight back as best as she could with only one good arm, but she was too weak and he already had her pinned. She barely was able to shield her head and face. _Oh God, _she realized, _he was going to kill her. She was going to die now at the hands of this inhuman scumbag. _

Just as she felt merciful oblivion start to take her, the weight on her legs was gone. She groggily came to awareness and realized she wasn't being hit anymore. Sluggishly her head rolled to the side to look. She couldn't see well. It seemed as if one of her eyes was swollen closed and blood kept impairing her vision. She saw that the man was clear across the room, but there was another man as well, tossing and pounding into him as if he were a scarecrow instead of a giant.

_Eliot_, Keely realized, _he had found her. _

She turned and found the child was still there, cowering and shaking violently. Keely dragged herself over to him, "It's Adam right? Adam, I'm Keely. It's ok." She wrapped her good arm around him and pulled him close. She patted his back over and over, making soothing noises. He jerked at first, but soon settled into her warmth, clutching her clothes for support. She rocked him, "You're safe now. We won't let him hurt you ever again. Do you understand?" She felt him nodding hesitantly.

Once Keely assured herself the boy was ok, she looked back over to Eliot and his victim. Eliot was like a crazed beast, attacking him over and over again. Even as the man whimpered and begged, Eliot didn't hesitant. Keely saw something in Eliot's eyes. Something she hadn't seen outside of a vision.

Eliot's pitiless and indomitable intent to kill.

Eliot threw the man into the table, smashing it into kindling. He could have knocked him out by now, but he didn't want to. He wanted to make this last. He wanted him to feel every minute of the hell he had in mind for him. To pay back every mark on Keely with interest. Eliot's fist pulled back to deliver another devastating blow to the already pummeled face, but it was stopped by a gentle squeezing hand. It was probably the only hand in the world that could stop him at that moment.

Eliot turned to face her and gasped. "Baby girl," he whispered. He reached out with shaking fingers gently brushing over her battered features. The rat bastard had torn her up. You could barely recognize her. The sight of her had him vibrating with murderous rage once again. He turned away, but Keely grabbed his shoulder with more force. Her voice rich with care and worry, "Eliot, don't."

Eliot tried to pull away, but she held on tighter. "He deserves it." He growled ferociously.

"I agree, but he's not worth it. You're not that man anymore. Don't let him ruin everything you've become. He's not worth it."

Taking deep steadying breaths, Eliot used every meditation trick he had to calm himself, to step back and to turn away.

Keely was instantly falling into his arms, not being able to stand any longer. He held her tight. She was buried against his chest and his arms wrapped around her. It hurt, but Keely didn't mention it and she didn't care.

Their moment was interrupted by a group of police officers charging through the door. Someone must have heard the ruckus and actually called the police.

Eliot carried Keely to the couch, while the officers questioned them. They basically told the officers the truth, minus Keely's vision and psychically induced race to the rescue.

Keely said she heard the boy yelling for help and she broke in to save him. The boy, knowing full well he hadn't made a sound, mercifully stayed quiet. He also luckily didn't refute it when she and Eliot gave them fake names.

The story was Keely stopped him from trying to burn the boy's hand was unsuccessful in fighting him off, proven by her severe injuries. Eliot managed to find and save her. If the officers were suspicious of disproportionate amount of injuries to the man vs. Eliot, they didn't mention it. Even police would probably consider it justice, looking at what the man had done to a woman and a child.

They assured Keely that he would never get near that child again. It wasn't as reassuring as the knowledge Keely had, that one of the officers was a very honorable man and a father himself, who took protecting children from child abuse as his personal mission. Keely could trust him to take care of Adam.

The ambulance came soon afterwards. The EMTs came out with the gurney to take Keely, but Eliot tried to stop them, knowing Keely couldn't go in hospitals. "Wait," Keely said. She offered the EMTs her sweetest smile. Well, it was really more of a haphazard smirk with the pain and her distorted features. "May we have a moment please?" Nodding with distressed sympathetic expressions and poignant looks at Eliot holding her hand, they took a step outside of the mangled doorframe.

Keely pulled Eliot down close to her and whispered hoarsely, "Let them take me."

"What?"

"Let them take me to the hospital."

"Keely, obviously I want you to go to the hospital, but you can't. They'll find you."

"After I go, call Hardison. Tell him to make an alias using the name I just gave them. If he can't upload his blocking software in for the city, maybe he can do it just for the hospital."

Eliot shook his head, "It's not worth the risk. We can hire a private doctor and clinic. I'll get you everything you need…"

"That's not it Eliot." Her voice lowered, "This is an opportunity for us."

Eliot's expression darkened, "Opportunity?"

"Nate needs a patient right? One with physical injuries?" She pointed to her own, "Well these aren't fake."

Keely heard Eliot swiftly suck in breath, his eyes widening, his mouth twitching. Keely nearly rolled her eyes. _Oh boy here it comes. _

Luckily, Eliot caught himself before he yelled like his wanted to. His words were a raspy and strangled instead. "Are you f*$#* kidding me? You want to use this for a con?! A con! You were beaten nearly to death! No… no… absolutely not."

Keely sighed as if he were the most stubborn and exasperating person on earth. "Eliot, I'm not doing anything dangerous. I'll be getting treatment I need anyway and after I'm better, Nate can use me as a patient. It's a win win situation." She patted Eliot's arm, "Think of Max locked away unjustly in that cell. Think of dear Nana, unable to sleep at night because of the worry. How else are we going to help them?"

Eliot watched her with narrowed suspicious eyes and then blew out a breath. "God damn it Keely…." He growled, "Fine."

He shook a finger at her, "But no con stuff until you are completely better and if there's even the slightest hint that they are onto you, I'm pulling you out. Max or no Max.

Keely started to nod, but winched in pain, saying yes instead.

Eliot waved the EMTs into the room. Watching them, one of the EMTs smiled, "You can go with her, you know?"

Keely shouted, "No" and the same exact time Eliot said, "Absolutely." Keely looked at Eliot meaningfully, "No sweetheart, you need to make some important phone calls _remember_? You promised to contact my family _right_?" Eliot grumbled, but agreed.

Watching Keely get loaded into the ambulance, and driven off, out of his sight, literally killed him. He couldn't stand having other people take her away. Imagining every horrible scenario that could happen, while he wasn't protecting her.

He turned away. Keely was right, they had work to do.


	20. Chapter 20

Harold Zucker groaned. Deep searing pain seeping through the haze and bleariness. Everything hurt, it hurt move, it hurt to breathe. He felt trapped and suffocated. As he slowly became aware of his surroundings, he heard the whirling and clicking of machines, felt the plastic wrapped around his mouth giving him air. Slowly his consciousness emerged from darkness and in every moment he wished he could go back.

A hospital… he realized. He must be at a hospital. The beds… the machines… the dark room… It was the only thing that made sense. Then he realized he wasn't alone in the dark room. A figure was sitting in a chair at the foot of his bed. It couldn't be his wife. The pathetic creature had died years ago. Who would possibly come? Even his buddies at the bar thought they were too good for him now.

It spoke and it was no voice he recognized, but it still made him jerk in fright. "Took you long enough. I turned off the meds so you'd be awake enough for this."

Then the figure stood up and came towards him, every move eerily deliberate and it sent chills down his spine. As the figure's face finally came into view, Harold gasped, convulsing involuntarily with fear. It was the devil himself! With his frozen eyes cursing him to damnation and dragging him to the icy ring of hell!

He wanted to run, but his body couldn't move. He wanted to scream, but the mask still covered his mouth. The devil smiled sinisterly, gaining pleasure from his torment. "You remember me. Good." His voice was as deep and dark as a beast. He leaned closer, "I want my face burned into your brain. I want you to have nightmares about me. Because let me tell you something Harold Zucker."

He pulled at something on his wrist. Harold glanced down to see that he was handcuffed to the bed railing. His panic grew. The man's smile only turned colder, "You're going to jail. For what you did to your son and that girl, there's no question you'll serve time. Now I'm not sure for how long that time will be…"

His voice turned to a deep menacing growl, akin to a panther before it pounced, "But you better pray it will be for a long, long time. As soon as you get out of here, you better hire a _very _bad lawyer. The worst money can buy because as long as you stay in that cell, you'll be safe from _me_. The moment you're out… you're mine. I'll make very sure you live a very long time to regret over and over again, ever hitting that child or even _touching_ that girl."

The blue-eyed devil patted his sweating forehead, "Good talk there, Harold. I'll be seeing you later. You can count on that"

Then he was gone. Harold was alone in the dark room again, shivering and moaning with terror.

* * *

Keely's eyes slowly drifted open, adjusting to the sunlight sneaking through the curtains. Her pain medication was wearing off, but she didn't want more. The fogginess reminded her too much of her groggy drugged state in the lab. She was surprised she didn't have nightmares. A hospital room, machines, needles, and an unfamiliar environment would probably be the worst combination to reminiscence those dark times. Then she felt pressure on her hand and across her lap. She glanced down to see Eliot seated in a chair next to her hospital bed, laying across her lap and still clutching her hand in his sleep.

The sight of him gave her a lump in her throat and she smiled. Gently she reached out with the hand, that wasn't in a cast, and brushed back the sable locks from his face. He didn't move, so she rubbed the pad of her thumb down his nose and across his lip. She loved that scar on his lip. It gave his nearly perfect features some character. She unconsciously followed the lines of his face with her fingertips. She loved his chin too, with that slight dent. It reminded her of his country roots, with his cowboy gallantry and his old fashioned manners. She loved that no matter how tough he was, he would still stand when Nana came in the room and call her Ma'am. And she loved how even with how busy they were, she knew he had gone back to check on Adam to make sure he was safe and well taken care of. She loved that no matter how far she ran, he always seemed to find her. And she loved that he had snuck into her hospital room last night to hold her hand and make sure she didn't have nightmares. She just loved everything about him.

Keely froze. Ice streaming through her blood. _Wait… she loved him? She loved Eliot Spencer! Oh snickerdoodles! It was pretty much the worst and most idiotic thing she could possibly do! It would ruin everything!_

She made herself so distraught and frazzled that when Eliot woke up, she nearly yelped. He rubbed his face. "Hey Baby Girl, how are you feeling?" Keely just stared at him, sitting as rigidly as a statue with huge bug eyes, repeating to herself over and over, "_Don't say you love him. Don't say you love him."_

Eliot misinterpreted her emotional discomfort for physical and bolted up with distress, "It _does_ hurt doesn't it! I'll get the nurse."

"Wait, Eliot. Stop!" She grabbed the back of his shirt, tugging hanging fabric forcefully. "You can't let the nurse see you with me. They'll know we're connected and it'll ruin everything!"

"You're still worried about that damn con. I swear Keely, I'm…"

She took hold of his arm and pulled him down towards his seat with a smile, "I'm fine Eliot. I swear, I'm fine. I was just surprised at you being here. How did you get in here anyway?" She quirked a brow at him, but felt something stick in place. God, she must she be a mess now. She didn't even want to think about what she looked like.

Eliot scoffed, "I can break into anything. You think I can't sneak into a hospital room without being noticed?"

Keely studied him, "Parker helped you, didn't she?"

Eliot started to protest until Keely reached for his hand, interlocking her fingers with his, "Thank you Eliot. You saved my butt… again. I owe you more than I care to admit."

Eliot scoffed, "If I really did my job you wouldn't be in here in the first place."

Keely whacked his shoulder with her plastered arm. "Ow! What was that for?!"

Keely scolded him with a frown, "Don't be stupid. I'd be dead if you haven't found me and that's a heck of a lot worse than the shape I'm in now."

Eliot grumbled, until Keely squeezed his hand, "Adam?"

"He's ok. I checked up on him. Turns out he has a maternal aunt who is driving down from Maine to pick him up. His injuries were mostly healed so they sent him home. He's staying at Officer McCreedy's place now. Turns out he's a pretty decent cop."

Keely nodded, grateful her instincts had been proven correct in this instance. She pushed herself forward, "I need to get up." It wasn't easy. With a cast on her right arm, a brace on her left leg, and her side stinging once again, even small movements were taxing and difficult.

Eliot jumped to assist her. "You're still in pretty bad shape. Don't you just want to use the bedpan instead."

Keely's lips curled into a snarl, "I have a crutch right here that I'm pretty sure would be ideal for smacking people in the head with."

Eliot chuckled, but wrapped an arm around her as she hobbled towards the bathroom. Once the door was closed behind her, she jolted and nearly screamed at the sight of herself in the mirror.

She looked like some obscene love-child between Frankenstein and the Mummy. Her face was unrecognizable, a checkerboard of red, purple and black, with one eye blackened and swollen closed, and her lip was busted and swollen as well. She peeled back the coverings around her head to reveal stitches along her hairline. She pulled back more gauze on her shoulder to reveal even more stitches.

Her ribcage was completely back and blue, familiar tell-tale signs of more bruised and fractured ribs. Geez-Louise she hated those. They left her fully incapacitated and took forever to heal. It was really pathetic that injured ribs were now an accustomed occurrence in her life.

She emerged from the bathroom, clutching her tender side with a weak smile, "I wonder if they had a two for one sale on new ribs down at the hospital lobby?"

She expected Eliot to laugh with her, but instead he launched himself at the chair, kicking it across the room with a roar of temper. Keely jumped backwards with surprise and little fear.

Eliot brushed back his hair and stomped towards her, "God damn it Keely! This isn't a joke! It's not funny!" He gripped the bed railing, squeezing it tightly with white knuckles. "It's not funny," he said softer. "I thought you were dead. When I finally found you, with that animal standing over you. You were covered in blood and not moving… I thought you were dead."

Keely felt a that lump in her throat return, choking on emotion. _Who was she kidding? She loved him before she met him. It was hopeless. _

"Hey, hey…" she stumbled over to him, resting her palm on his tense shoulder. He remained stock-still, vibrating with restrained emotion. She reached for his face, turning him to face her. She tried to smile, "Hey. I'm fine. I'm really fine. This may look bad, but it's nothing permanent and it'll heal. And Adam will now be safe and his father is going to jail and he won't hurt anyone again."

Eliot squeezed her bicep, the only part of her that was uninjured. "You promised you wouldn't run from me again, that you would tell me when something was wrong instead of going off on your own."

"Oh Eliot, I didn't mean to. I can't really explain it… I saw what was going to happen to that boy and my body just moved. I couldn't really control it. I was never planning to run from you, I was just desperate to save him."

Eliot sighed and turned away from her. Keely scowled, feeling her temper build. "You don't believe me do you? Still?! After all this?! You're the one always teasing me that I can't lie. How can you think I wouldn't be honest about something like this?!"

Eliot ran his hands through his hair and plopped onto the bed. "It's not that I think you're lying. You must just be mistaken, that's all."

"Mistaken?" she growled. That building temper earlier… it was starting to smolder.

"Yeah, you probably saw something or heard something that subconsciously led you to know that boy was in danger."

Keely just gawked at him with her mouth hanging open. "Are you serious?! I know that you don't buy into the whole psychic thing, but now your alternative explanations sound even more preposterous. God Eliot, sometimes you are… sometimes you are just soo… soo… dense!"

It wasn't something you should say to a person who just saved your life… multiple times, nor to a person you just realized you were in love with, but she was fed up! Gosh darn it! She hated the way he thought of her. That she was too naïve and simple-minded to even comprehend her own abilities.

Keely was so irritated that when she stomped towards her bed, she completely forgot about her injured ankle. Forgoing her crutch, she took one step and then promptly started to topple over.

Eliot shouted her name and bolted towards her, catching her moments before she did a face plant into the hospital floor. Looking up at him, she felt her temper lose steam. The poor guy looked so stricken and miserable with worry and guilt.

She was really being unfair, if she thought about it. Nate and Hardison didn't believe she was psychic either, but that didn't really seem to bother her. It only bothered her when Eliot didn't believe her because… well… it was Eliot.

Eliot hoisted her upright again, Keely regained her balance by holding onto his arms. "Thanks," she mumbled looking directly at the buttons of his flannel shirt. But neither of them let go of each other. Keely looked up at his face again, feeling a mess of emotions swirling inside of her, "Eliot, I…"

Eliot shook his head, "Let's not talk about it anymore. It doesn't really matter anyway. Wait till you at least feel better."

It wasn't really what Keely had intended to say, but she kept her mouth shut as Eliot escorted her back to the bed.

Once she sat, she gasped and turned towards the door. "The nurse is coming!"

Eliot nodded and stepped out the window. There was a window washer's suspended scaffolding right outside. Half-way out he turned back and smiled, "Get some rest Keely. I'll see you later."

Keely waved and smiled, but her smile faded once he was gone. She threw her pillow over her face and yelled in frustration. _Her already complex life just got a lot more complicated._

* * *

"So here we have Katie Tobin, a patient, whom as you requested, sustained multiple physical injuries."

Vanpelt gasped and scoffed with disgust as he looked through the window into the MRI, "Jesus! What happened to her?!"

Keely sat in her hospital gown on a table just outside the MRI scan, being prepped to go inside. Her numerous injuries had a yellow-greenish hue to show that they were healing, but still present. She was still a sight to behold.

Nate cleared his throat, "She was assaulted, while trying to help save a boy from his father." He had to tell the truth since it was almost certain they would assess the validity of his information anyway.

The swarthy well-dressed gentleman, who accompanied Vanpelt, was presumably the mysterious partner. Since he had entered the room, he had barely spoken, until he saw Keely and muttered under his breath, "Idiot."

Everyone held their breath as Eliot snarled with temper, praying he didn't blow everything by marching in there and punching the partner out cold.

Nate continued the act, "Her injuries are healing well and she should be leaving the hospital tomorrow, but thanks to our technology and documentation, Katie will be convinced, even with second opinions, that she has a brain tumor and needs to stay in the hospital for further treatment. We already did a background check. She is covered by insurance. She'll be "cured" with a breakthrough high-end treatment in a matter of weeks. The bills and therefore the profit will be astronomical."

Vanpelt laughed and clapped his stoic partner on the back. "Haha, when you put it that way. It seems like we're even doing them a favor. They'll be so thrilled to have a second chance at life. Don't you think?"

Standing guard at the hallway outside the door, Eliot's voice rumbled, "Sure. Convincing an already traumatized and beaten person they have a brain tumor. You could nominate him for sainthood."

Keely pretended to scratch her head to cover her mouth and spoke between gritted teeth into her earbud. "Eliot, he framed innocent people for his crimes. We already knew he wasn't a stand up guy. Keep your cool. I didn't put up with all of this at the hospital to spoil it now. I want to get this over with and get out of here!"

Vanpelt's still unnamed partner was still watching Keely through the glass. It made Nate uneasy with how cautious and studious he was being. "Is there a problem?"

"I want to talk to her."

"Well, that's not really part of our procedure. We don't interact with the patient so we don't cause them suspicion and nothing can be traced…"

The man's eyes never moved from Keely, "If your "procedure" is as good as you say it is, then a few words with the patient should jeopardize it."

Pausing for a moment, Nate gestured towards the door. "By all means, go ahead."


	21. Chapter 21

Keely's only warning to the man entering the room was overhearing Nate's brief discussion with him. Therefore her jerk in surprise at his presence was completely genuine. He pushed his way through the door and sauntered towards her with hands in his suit pockets. He had a dark complexion, hair slicked back into prestine perfection and confident aquiline nose. So far, the Leverage crew had still to uncover this man's name, which for someone of Hardison's skills, meant that he was very careful and very clever.

_Eduardo Sanchez._ Keely knew it the moment he came near her. It was strange sensation, suddenly knowing things about a person you just met. As if meeting someone and then suddenly realizing you knew them growing up and start to remembering facts about them. _Past familial connections in the mafia. Specializes in the distribution of drugs. Had a wife and two daughters who thought he was in real estate. _

Eliot was throwing a righteous fit. His roaring voice, nearly made her yank out her earbud. _What were they thinking? That man shouldn't be near her._ And then there were the even more insulting comments. _She's going to blow her cover in two seconds. She would never be able to convince him of anything…_

Keely scowled, but luckily her expression was appropriate for the situation. Eduardo grinned at her, displaying a set of impeccably white and set teeth. He stuck out a hand, which she only took as a reflex.

"Hello Miss Tobin. I'm Edward Smith, a doctor here at the hospital." Keely nearly scoffed at him. Seriously, she may be clueless at times, but even she wasn't that dense. She raised a skeptical brow at him, "You don't look like a doctor. I've met a lot of doctors. They don't dress in suits and they don't introduce themselves without the title Dr." She crossed her arms, "Who are you really?"

Parker groaned, "That's it, we're blown."

Eliot growled, "I told you… I told you she couldn't deal directly with the mark. She can't lie!"

"No," Sophie mumbled under her breath, "it's perfect."

"Sophie's right," Nate whispered. "An outright approval would seem suspicious. Keely's honest reaction is more realistic."

On cue, Eduardo smiled. "You're right, I'm not. I'm a business man. I manage the finances for the hospital."

"So why did you lie?"

"We have some concerns about the circumstance of your injuries. I thought you would be more likely to answer my questions if you thought I was a doctor."

Keely shrugged, "I can't see how that would possibly make a difference. What happened, happened. You being or not being a doctor or a hospital businessman doesn't change anything… Except for the fact I now know you're a liar."

He bent in a slight bow towards her, with a smirk, "I'm sincerely sorry for misleading you. I merely didn't wish to alarm you, but I can see you are not one who is easily unsettled. If you would please, recap the events leading up to your admission here, it would help us greatly. A man attacked you?"

"Well, I actually went after him first. He was trying to burn his son's hand and I had to stop him."

"How did you know the son was in danger in the first place?"

Keely was quiet for a moment. "I heard him crying for help."

"And you just barged in there. A perfect stranger… just because you heard a child cry out for help."

Keely's eyes darkened, "It was more than enough reason."

"You realize Miss Tobin that your head was injured. You need an MRI because there could possibly be permanent damage. Do you still think it was good enough reason?"

Keely's resolve was steely as she glared at his obnoxiously smug expression, "Absolutely."

He rocked back on his heels and then waved to her with a smile as he turned to leave, "I see. Well, good luck Miss Tobin. I do wish you the best with your test. There should be no more trouble on our end."

Sanchez returned to the observation room with an arrogant sneer. "She's perfect, a complete sap. She'll believe anything you tell her. People like that, if we don't take advantage of her, someone else will."

Vanpelt chuckled uncomfortably, feeling obvious relief that the plan had been approved. Everyone else was steaming at the insult to Keely's character. Even Nate, had to clear his throat to regain his composure, before continuing the con. Everyone was ruffled, except Keely.

She had heard Sanchez's comments quite clearly, but right now had more pressing issues to deal with and did not have the luxury to be insulted. She was staring at the MRI and was breaking out into a sweat. The idea of being stuffed into that metal tube was proving a much greater hurdle than she imagined.

The moment she laid down on that machine, she was bombarded by images. Forgotten events that were pushed back to the recesses of her subconscious. Scenes of when she had been at that lab and how they not only scanned her again and again, but of other tests they did. They would strap her down so she couldn't move or escape no matter how much she struggled and then push her to her limit to make her react in some mysterious way. How they would make it unbearably hot, so she felt like she was being cooked inside an oven. Or how they covered her mouth so she couldn't breath, inciting her into hysterics while she was trapped in that metal coffin.

The idea of being put back in there was causing a very real panic attack. She was nearly hyperventilating as the machine slowly roared to life. She had to pull herself together. She couldn't let them see. If Eliot and the rest of the crew knew what she was going through, they would pull her out of there in a second. After all the trouble they went through, she couldn't let that happen. Her breath started to come out in choking sobs and the silver walls closed around her, instantly being struck with the familiar sensation of being smothered and trapped. She covered her moth to hide it and took deep breaths, trying not to cry and scream as she went under.

_Distract yourself. Remind yourself of why you have to go through this. Of why it is worthwhile._ She willed herself with all of her might to think of Nana and Max. Trying desperately to keep the image of their faces in her mind. Of how Nana hugged Hardison and he kissed her head lovingly. Of the photos of Max with his foster siblings, with that huge gap toothed grin on his face.

Mercifully, just as the MRI clicked to halt and began whirling, the images of Max and Nana became more intense, morphing into scenes of events she had never seen. Of teenage Max tearing through the house in an intoxicated raged, only to be calmed when Nana finally caught hold of him and hugged him close to her and him dissolving into sobs into her lap clutching her flowered dress like a lifeline. Scenes of Nana holding him as he retched and shook, riding the toxins from his body. Scenes of Max visiting teachers during his breaks and after school to get extra help with his classes. Of him picking up odd jobs around the neighborhood like painting houses or moving furniture, just to get a honest income. Of his thrilled expression, when he burst through the door to tell Nana he got a real job at the hospital and how it was going to help him get into a good college.

Keely was so immersed in visions of Max's life, she wasn't pulled back to reality until the MRI rolled forward and releasing her from the metal tube. _Thank God_, she prayed. Thank God she had a vision strong enough at that exact moment to keep her sane and comatose in that situation. She seriously thought she was going to lose it for a moment.

Keely bolted upright and practically leapt off the gurney, refusing to look directly at the MRI and willing herself to breath normally once again.

She listened to Nate continue his persuasion to take the deal, the doctor's surprised approval at the test's accuracy and final their acceptance. Everyone let out a breathe of relief.

As everyone left the observation room, Nate stayed behind to motion Hardison to join them, but Hardison swiveled in his chair and motioned to the computers. "Just give me a minute, I need to double-check a few things." When Nate left, Hardison's smile faded and he turned back to examine the monitors of Keely's test with intense focus.

* * *

Vanpelt hooted as he watched the girl shimmy up the stripper pole. He grabbed a server's arm, "Hey there sugarlips, get me a refill." He let go of her only to smack her butt. "And make it quick."

The strip club was one of his favorites. The girls were hot, the booze was free flowing, the customers' privacy was protected and they weren't ashamed to add a few "extras" as long you could pay. Everything was getting delightfully fuzzy and enticing. Just the way he liked it. No deadlines. No disapproving family members. No stress about his less than legal endeavors. Just all of the delights, life and his money had to offer.

He pulled out a healthy stack of ones and fanned them at the stripper, hollering for her to come closer.

At that moment a hand clamped over his outstretched wrist and his perfect world evaporated. He was surrounded by an army of police men. "Mr. Vanpelt you are under arrest for…"

Vanpelt leapt to escape, but it was fruitless, they already had him and he was too intoxicated to even function properly. All his effort earned him, was to have his face slammed against that stripper stage and his hands cuffed behind him. "As I was saying Mr. Vanpelt you are under arrest for purposeful fraudulent diagnosis, insurance scamming and suspicions of involvement in illegal drug trade."

As Vanpelt was dragged outside he came across the face of a waitress that made him sure he was hallucinating. "Dr. Keller?! What are you doing here?" The leggy brunette, chewing gum looked at him like he was mental and then laughed with a thick Chicago accent, "Me? A doctor? Ha, you must have had one too many mister."

Vanpelt struggled more earnestly, completely stunned and confused. "No, no you work at my hospital! You've worked there for years. You're the one that told me that program was good. It was you! I know it was you!"

The waitress shook her head at him, "Mister, if I were a doctor I wouldn't be working in this dump." She cocked her hip and looked poignantly at the policemen, "I'd check him for something stronger than whiskey if you know what I mean."

The police tipped their hats at her, "That we will mahem. Sorry for the disturbance."

Vanpelt fought and shouted madly, until they finally yanked him out the door.

Nate slid up next to Sophie. "Letting him see you at the strip club. Nice touch." Sophie flipped her hair, reverting back to her normal sophisticated British accent, "Well, I figured it would only reduce his credibility that much more, if his trusted doctor accomplice was a figure of his imagination."

Before Keely even went to the hospital, Sophie had established herself as a reputable long-standing doctor. Thanks to Sophie's skills and Hardison's fabricated records they had managed to convince everyone that they should have known Sophie, or Dr. Keller, for years. After a few brief meetings with Vanpelt, she easily gained his trust and practically convinced him she was his long-lost best friend. Then she finally snuck into the conversation how she was having money difficulties and would do anything for any additional "bonuses." Therefore, when Vanpelt needed to confirm the accuracy of the fake tests, of course, Dr. Keller was the first person who came to mind.

Sophie leaned toward Nate and whispered, "How long do you think before he'll turn on his partner?" Nate rocked back on his heels, "With his fortitude and loyalty… minutes." They both smiled at each other and turned to leave.

* * *

Nana came bursting through the kitchen door with another steaming bowl of food and serving spoon. "Who wants seconds?" "Me!" Keely and Max shouted in unison and then grinned at each other. Apparently hospital and prision food were somewhat lacking, especially in comparison to Nana's heavenly home cooking.

Nana laughed as she bustled around the table, stopping only long enough to kiss the top of Max's head lovingly. Max smiled. In just a few days, he looked so much better than when they first picked him up at the prison. He was pale, thin and looked seriously shaken. Until he saw Nana. She had insisted on coming herself. He ran into her arms like a small child and squeezed her as tightly as he could. Now he was home again with all of his foster siblings, cleared of all charges, and looked to be getting back on track again.

In the middle of dinner Max paused and stood, instantly earning the silence and attention of everyone in the room. "I just want to say thank you, to all of you. You believed in me." He smiled towards Nana. "And you took a chance to clear my name. I probably didn't deserve either after everything I've pulled." Hardison clapped in hard on the back, "Everyone is entitled to a second chance." Nate chuckled quietly as he grinned to his team, "Yeah and some are entitled to a few extra."

When Nana disappeared into the kitchen again, Keely elbowed Parker meaningfully and jerked her head towards the kitchen door. Parker let a deep breath and stood up.

Nana grabbed another bowl of mashed potatoes and turned, promptly screaming and nearly dropping it when Parker was suddenly there before her. She gripped the counter, gasping, "Dear Lord, child. You scared me half to death!"

Parker frowned, "I'm sorry. It's just… I wanted to tell you something and I didn't want to say it in front of everyone else." She took a deep breath, "Thank you for Hardison. He is the very best person I know and I know that is because of you. Thank you for making him the way he is." Nana blinked at her, her hand fluttering at her chest.

"And…" Parker continued, twisting her hands, "I wish so much that I had a foster parent like you growing up. If I did, I might have turned out better, like Hardison. I would at least deserve him."

Nana's stunned expression warmed and melted into a deep smile. There was truly no better compliment you could pay to a parent and it had done the trick for Nana.

"Oh aren't you the sweetest thing!" She wrapped her thin, but powerful arms around Parker. Parker hesitated briefly, "Oh, ok." But then returned the hug with all of her strength. She gave Keely and Sophie a secret thumbs up behind Nana's back and they returned it from their hiding position by the doorframe.

* * *

When the door opened, Keely hobbled into the room in her walking cast, followed by Eliot and Hardison, "God, it's good to be… back." She was about to say "home" Keely realized. Since when had she considered Leverage headquarters "home."

She threw herself onto the couch with a little too much gusto and yelped when her shoulder made contact. Eliot frowned at her and then pointed at Hardison, "I'm going to the store to pick up her meds. Are you ok watching her?" Hardison nodded, as Keely protested. "Eliot, seriously, I'm fine. I can get…" He didn't say a word and only responded with his fiercest glare. Keely stopped mid-speech and shrunk in her seat. As Eliot left, he shouted over his shoulder, "I'll be back in 15. Don't get into any trouble, while I'm gone."

Keely scoffed as the door slammed behind him, "Trouble? Trouble! He keeps acting as if _this_…" she gestured to her leg and arm, "is all my fault. As if I chose this?" She grumbled with slumped crossed arms, "_He's_ the one who's trouble."

Keely realized Hardison wasn't responding to her criticism of Eliot, which was strange. Hardison was always a willing partner when Keely wanted to complain about Eliot. He just sat on the table in front of her, staring at her strangely as if expecting her to sprout horns or do a jig. Keely cocked a brow at him, "You ok there, Hardison?"

Hardison rubbed his hands over his face and then started pacing around the room. "You know Keely, I had to do a lot of research for this con." Keely shrugged and smiled, "Don't you always?" Hardison pointed at her, "I do. Thank you for that, but this time I had to research the brain for in order to convincingly fake the test results."

He clicked his remote and a movie of a brain scan popped up. "Particularly, I looked at a ton of these. Brain scan after brain scan with different parts of the brain lighting up. People use different parts of the brain depending on what they are thinking about. How to solve a math problem, paint a picture, shoot a basketball? Different parts of your brain are active at different times. Pretty cool huh?"

Keely smiled reassuringly, but in the back of her head wondered what Hardison was getting at.

"Well, that's what the brain is supposed to do, but look at this." A new image of a brain popped up on the screen, seeming exactly the same as all the others. Except suddenly it started lighting up like a Simon memory game. Each part glowing in rapid succession and suddenly the entire brain lighting up at once, nearly incandescently bright. Then it stopped again and returned to normal activity.

Hardison switched the screen off. "Now I know, I'm not a brain surgeon or anything, but I know that's not normal."

Keely's brow furrowed, "Hardison, I don't understand. What…"

"It's your brain, Keely. From the MRI scan in the hospital. Before I could make the fake one, I saw what really happened."

Keely dropped her face into her hands and pulled down on her cheeks, "Holy Macaroni! I mean, I always knew what I could do, but I never stopped to consider why. I can't believe it's something physical like the brain. I guess that makes sense, but part of me always thought it was…"

"Keely!"

Keely blinked at Hardison's outburst. "What?"

"Are you… are you trying to tell me this is real?! You're actually psychic?!"

Keely sighed and grumbled, rubbing her forehead, "That's what I've been trying to say since the beginning."

Hardison stared at her in awe, "So it's not an act or intuition, or supergenius deduction... You're the real deal."

Keely met his gaze in complete seriousness, "Yes, yes I am."


	22. Chapter 22

Hardison stared at her for a moment, his mouth agape with astonishment, even though Keely merely confirmed his own discovery. Keely was about to wave her hand in front of his face to register for consciousness, until he finally spoke in hushed tones, "That is… awesome!"

He bit his fist with excitement as he bounced around like a popcorn kernal about to be popped. "Are you serious? Are you freaking serious?! We have a real live psychic with us, right us. This is unbelievable. This is crazy. The guys would be so jealous of me right now. A psychic. A _real _psychic. It's like a have an actual Jedi sitting on my couch, right now. Quick, quick… do a mind trick. What am I thinking now? What am I thinking right now?

Keely leaned back on the couch, "Haridson, it doesn't really work like that. I don't have really any control of it at all. Besides, I would like to avoid reading anyone's thoughts as much as possible, thank you very much."

Hardison continued nodding, his eyes boring into hers with boiling curiosity and unspoken questions. She sighed and continued, "I just suddenly get very strong feelings or images of things that have happened or will happen. I can't pick or choose what I see. It just sort washes over me like a tidal wave whenever it feels like it."

She pointed to the scene with the images of her brain completely lit up, "I guess just like that." Her lip twisted, "Part of the reason it seems made up, huh?"

Hardison puffed up and chuckled to himself, "Well, you don't have to worry about convincing the rest of the team now. It's a good thing I figured it out first, because with me as back up we can totally…"

"Oh, Parker and Sophie already know."

Hardison screeched to a halt, "They? They what… they know? Well, how long have _they_ known?"

Keely ticked them off on her fingers, "Well Parker fully believed me since the first time I told you and Sophie knew since the time we ran through the mall and jumped in that tank."

Keely's lips curved, "It's actually surprising Hardison. Despite all your talk of Jedi's, superheroes and orcs, your true form is a cynical realist."

Hardison dropped into the armchair in slump, clearly disappointed he was the first to discover the truth.

"But Eliot, doesn't know right? I found out before him, right?!"

Keely groaned, rubbing her face, "Yes, yes, Eliot _still _doesn't believe me."

Hardison rubbed his hands together diabolically, "Excellent, excellent. Can we please _please _play some pranks on him? I'm dying to…"

He was stopped by Keely dark scowl, a very rare expression for her.

"Never mind. Sorry."

He twiddled his fingers and glanced around the room whistling uneasily, while Keely stewed angrily.

After several awkward moments of silence, Keely finally erupted with all of the feelings that had been on the brink of boiling. "I just can't believe it! After all this time! After everything we've been through! He still doesn't believe me! _Him_. The person I spent the most time with. It's not like a hide it, but he's just so stubborn and finds a way to explain it away.

ALSO he is constantly telling me to just _believe_ him. To just _trust_ him. And you know what? I do! I know his an expert at hiding and protecting people so I do everything he tells me! No questions asked."

"Except for…" Hardison weakly interrupted her rant, "the time you and Parker ran off to New York without telling us where you were going and snuck into a criminal bar just after you promised Eliot you'd stay in the van."

Keely's eyes narrowed hotly and she pressed her lips together in a fierce pucker.

Hardison waved his hands in a flourished fluster, "You know what? You're right. You're right. It was one measly little time and you saved a life so that surely doesn't count." Suddenly he looked up out of the corner of his eye, "You know that whole situation makes a lot more sense now that I know you really are psychic."

Keely sighed and stretched on her back across the couch, staring at the ceiling.

Hardison stood up and walked towards her, sitting on the armrest. "I could show Eliot this tape. After seeing all of the facts, he'd has to know that you're for real."

Still looking at the ceiling, Keely held up a finger, "You know, it might sound crazy, but I don't want Eliot to believe I'm psychic because of a video or scientific proof." She sat up and thumped her chest, "I want him to actually believe _me." _

Hardison watched her and then slowly nodded with a smile, "Gotcha."

That smile vanished the moment Eliot came through the door carrying numerous bags from the pharmacy. "So I got you some more…" He halted at the sight of the two accusatory glares. "What? What's going on with you two?"

Hardison marched towards the door with an air of repugnance, "If you'll excuse me, I need to leave." Eliot leaned back in shock, when Hardison suddenly stopped next to him and glared at him reproachfully. Then he whispered under his breath, "You disgust me." With that, he left, slamming the door behind him. Luckily for Hardison, Eliot was too taken aback and his arms were too full to react immediately and punch him.

He turned back to Keely, "What is his problem?" But Keely was staring at him with an equally exasperated and disappointed expression. She hoisted herself up, hobbled to the nearest bedroom door and closed it behind her.

Eliot's gaze whirled around the empty room, his arms still loaded with bags. "What has gotten into everyone?!"

* * *

Eduardo Sanchez shuffled down the concrete corridor, his handcuff chains clanging with the swing of his gait. His shoulders were slumped, his pristinely slicked and groomed hair now hung in straggly greasy strands over his eyes. He was a shrunken shadow of the powerful and potent man he once was. A man who was accustomed to privilege and infinite power had not adjusted well to the prison setting.

"He should have known better," Eduardo thought for the infinite number of times. He should have known better than to do business with a man like Vanpelt. He knew best of all that a man like Vanpelt, with the loyalty and backbone of a seaslug, would turn on his as soon as he smelled danger. But Vanpelt was so stupid and so easily manipulated and his hospital was a too perfect drug smuggling operation to pass up. He thought if he kept a tight enough leash on Vanpelt and had to approve every one of his steps, he could ensure neither of them would get caught in the first place. But he had been wrong… and his arrogance had cost him everything. How this still managed to happen, when he was so smart and so cautious, was still preposterous to him.

His only conclusion was that he had been played by that fake diagnosis scam. He immediately had his men check into the people involved, but there was no record of any of them, anywhere, at any time. Identities he previously scrubbed thoroughly for authenticity just… vanished. Even the curious Katie Tobin. Yet Sanchez knew she was still his only breadcrumb. Her name and identity may not have been real, but her injuries and the circumstances in which she received them, were.

So he had the few loyal men he had left start digging and the answer he found may very well be his ticket to freedom and restoration.

Sanchez was ushered into the visitation room. Everyone was else was seated across lawyers in cheap suits furiously scribbling on notepads or with propositioning or crying women. Therefore he was immediately able to single out the suited gentleman seated at the last telephone, wearing sunglasses even though it was indoors and dark. The suit was worth a small fortune. Sanchez knew, he had owned several himself.

Sanchez walked over and sat, picking up the telephone and cloaking himself with his last shreds of confidence and dignity. He nodded in greeting since he since didn't know the man's name. The man returned the nod and said coldly, "Mr. Sanchez, I received word you wished to speak with me. You had important business to discuss?"

Sanchez smiled, "Perhaps it would be better to speak more 'privately?' I heard these conversation can sometimes be overheard."

The man made a small sound resembling a scoff, looking very briefly at the cameras. "That won't be a problem. Proceed."

Sanchez frowned. From their reputation, he gathered that breaking him out of prison, just to speak with him, wouldn't have been too big of a feat. It appeared that wasn't a possibility now though.

He continued, knowing his future value to them and his future in general, completely depended on his next words.

He leaned closer to the glass. "I know you were searching hospitals for a girl who might have received injuries by helping people under mysterious circumstances. A girl who perhaps knew more than she should.

In the hospital I met a girl who received injuries for protecting a boy from his abusive father." He shrugged, "Other than being supremely stupid, it was nothing remarkable. Until, I got arrested because of the people she was with and then I dug a little deeper. The girl told me she knew the boy was in trouble because he cried for help." He shook his head. "We talked to neighbors and the boy's father. The boy never made a sound. How did she know? We got reports of pedestrians seeing her sprint through the streets blocks away from where the boy lived, too far away to have possibly heard anything. How did she know where to find him or how to save him?"

The man stared at him in silence. The sunglasses hiding any of his facial expression. Sanchez strived to let none of his anxiety peak through his façade of cool calmness. He finally spoke, "Her name?"

"Katie Tobin."

He made that small scoffing sound again. "Describe her."

"Her face was swollen and distorted because of the injuries, but she was small and curvy, lots of red hair and I believe brown eyes."

Once again Sanchez felt himself sweat under the magnifying and penetrating gaze of those two dark mirrors.

Then he abruptly stood up, "Thank you Mr. Sanchez. We'll be in contact." He dropped the phone, leaving Sanchez banging on the window and yelling his wordless frustrations behind the soundproof glass.

As the suited man walked away the lights began to flicker and buzz with increasing intensity. Everyone looked up in astonishment, at the overhanging lighting, except the exiting guest. Abruptly they started turning off and on, the fixtures were shooting sparks and swaying strongly. The man reached the doorway to exit just as one of the large light fixtures ripped itself from the ceiling and landed directly on Eduardo Sanchez, crushing him instantly in an explosion of red hot sparks and zinging electrical wires.

The man didn't even bother to turn around and face the torrent of screams nor the carnage that was once the proud Eduardo Sanchez. He smiled slightly. "You've been an immense help to us."

* * *

Hardison came bursting through the door with a bottle of champagne and orange soda in each hand. "Hey, hey, hey! What are you people doing lazing around?! It's time to celebrate! Let's party people!"

Eliot looked up from his book to roll his eyes. "Go away. I don't even want to ask."

Keely put the book, she had borrowed from Sophie, down and popped up from the couch, grateful she was no longer incapacitated by her cast and crutches. She smiled as she approached Parker and Hardison and eyed the bottles curiously. "What's the occasion?"

Hardison cleared his throat, "It has been officially 24 hours since there has been any activity looking for you."

That got Eliot's attention. He shot up and marched in their direction, "Wait, what does that mean?"

"It means…" Hardison announced with his grin growing bigger with every moment, "that in 24 hours the freaky lab people have been totally off the grid. No sign of their software anywhere. No one searching hospitals or money records or jobs. No scans for face recognition on cameras." He patted Keely's back. "She's in the clear."

Eliot narrowed his eyes at Hardison, "Are you sure?"

"Am I sure? Am I sure! Do you know who you are talking to? Of course, I'm sure."

Parker shook her head, "So what does this mean? Is it over? Can she go home?"

Nate took a sip from his mug, leaning across the counter and clicking his tongue, "I wouldn't go that far. I would still bet they have people watching her home and family. She can't go anywhere too familiar."

Sophie rubbed Keely's arm affectionately, "Still it is a very good sign. If they aren't searching as hard for you, perhaps they think they can't find you. Regardless, your safety has improved. You won't have to worry so much about moving around or being seen."

Nate nodded, "They obviously don't think she's in Boston anymore, so here's probably the safest place for her to be."

Parker clapped her hands in front of Keely's glazed eyes. "Keely? Are you still in there?!"

Since Hardison made the announcement Keely was in a stupefied trance. She felt like she was under water or floating in a semi-awake dream. _Could it be true? Could this nightmare be finally coming to an end? Were they truly giving up?_ Everything in her desperately wanted to believe it.

Eliot placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed, "You ok there Baby Girl?"

Keely finally smiled, "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. I'm great!"

She took the champagne and popped the cork, "This definitely _is_ a cause for celebration!" Everyone cheered in unison and grabbed glasses.

As Keely took a hardy sip of the champagne, she convinced her that the unease in her stomach was because of the fizzing bubbles and had nothing to do with any nagging doubts.


	23. Chapter 23

(In this next chapter you will find many situations similar to the "Mile High Episode." Although I don't usually like to use actual jobs from the show I saw Keely so strongly in this episode, I had to include it as a pivotal moment for Keely and Eliot. Thank you for your understanding.)

Keely's feet pounded on the pavement, eating up ground. Her breath came out in steady pants, her arms pumping rhythmically. She turned the corner and saw her goal in sight. _Just a little further. Just a little further and she'd make it. _She gritted her teeth, and pushed herself into a full sprint, calling upon energy from an unknown source.

When she finally reached her destination, she put her hands behind her head and paced, trying to catch her breath. She chuckled through gasping breathes. God, it felt good to do this again. Just then, ringing interrupted the music playing in her headphones. Keely held up the iPhone and pressed the "answer" button. Before she could even make a sound of greeting a familiar grumbly growl came through the phone, "Where are you?"

Keely rolled her eyes. "Hi Eliot, I'm fine, thanks. How are you?" Her teasing was met with expectant silence so she just sighed, "I'm just finishing my run."

"You were supposed to be done 15 minutes ago."

Keely opened the swinging door and made her way to the stairs, "Hey! Give me a break ok. Do you know how long it's been since I've been running? I'm a bit rusty. It took longer than I thought."

Keely used the key Hardison gave her to open the door to Nate's place.

"Well, where are you now?"

As Keely pushed her way through the kitchen door, she waved and smiled at Nate and Sophie sitting at the kitchen table.

"I'm a Nate's place. My shift at the bar starts in 30 minutes so I was just going to shower here."

"What time is it over?"

Keely reached up to grab a cup and filled it with water.

"10:00."

"I'll pick you up."

Keely took a big gulp of her water.

"You know you don't have to do that now, right. No one is chasing me and I can take the T or a cab."

"I'm picking you up. You better not leave before I get there like last time Keely! I mean it!"

Keely had to hold the phone away from her ear to spare them from the yelling. She blew her bangs out of her face with exasperation. Giving up, she gave a mock salute. "Aye, aye Captain."

Sophie and Nate chuckled at her. Eliot hung up in a huff.

Sophie called across the room, "Still glad Hardison gave you his old cell phone? You're not getting much privacy."

Keely shrugged, "Nah, it Eliot would be much worse if he knew he couldn't contact me. Besides I could never wish my precious away." She jokingly caressed the phone and pressed it lovingly against her cheek.

Once it was discovered the creepy suits weren't actively searching for her anymore, she was granted the freedom to go out on her own.

For over a year Keely had been on the run completely alone and then when Eliot found her, the Leverage crew had finally granted her a safe haven and place that felt like home. But that comfort and security came with a price. She could never go anywhere without someone glued to her side, making her feel slightly stifled and constantly guilty for the inconvenience she was causing them.

Now it was like a dream.

A dream of a real and normal life. She could do anything she wanted. She could go running, entertain herself, or run errands with or without her Leverage friends. Last week she did every cheesy touristy attraction Boston had to offer. She explored the historic streets by herself for hours, simply because she could. It was such a luxury! She had a job and her own income now, even as scarce as it was.

Keely could now come and go as she pleased, except for of course Eliot, who needed a constant status update on where she was and what she was doing. Hence the necessity for the new cell phone.

* * *

Hardison had opened a cupboard with literally hundreds of mobile phones. Keely gawked as they spilled out like skittles from a candy bag. "These are all yours?"

Hardison waved a hand at her, "Nah, just some old phones I've somehow gotten ahold of over the years. I would throw them out, but sometimes I use them for parts or to experiments with new gadgets.

Keely gingerly reached into the mass of technology and unearthed a phone. "Hardison, how is this old? It's the newest iPhone!"

"Please, I have the next two updated models already. That one's positively archaic."

Her eyes glowed with wonder as she examined it. "Look! It takes photos and videos. There's us." She held up the phone so that Hardison and her image showed on the screen. Keely waved enthusiastically, "Say cheese." She clicked a photo of them.

He started to reach for it, but Keely defensively grasped it to her chest. "Come on Keely, I'll get you a brand new phone. Even better than the ones on the market." He started to reach for it, but Keely swatted his hand away.

"No, I want this one."

"Keely…"

"Hardison, I haven't had my own phone in almost three years!"

Hardison gasped with horror at the thought of it.

"That's right. This phone is downright extravagant for me. It's absolutely perfect. Thank you. I just love it!" She wrapped her arms around his torso in a big bear hug.

Keely turned the phone over in her hands as she walked away, "I think I want to get a cover with Shamrocks on it…" She skipped out of the door, chirping happily to herself and snapping photos of everything in sight.

* * *

Since, Keely had acquired that discarded phone, she had been driving everyone crazy with her constant snapping of photos.

True to form, before Keely headed to the shower, she abruptly whipped around in mid-stride and snapped a photo of Nate and Sophie sitting cozily at the table. Sophie flipped her hair and smiled radiantly as Nate covered his face, "For God's sake, please stop taking pictures of everyone. Leave us alone!"

Keely's face folded dejectedly and pouted. "Fine, fine." She shuffled through the door with slumped shoulders. She disappeared momentarily and then swiftly swung around the doorframe again and took another photo.

Nate roared, "Stop that!"

Keely chuckled mischievously as she ducked back into the room.

* * *

Eliot arrived at the bar at nine. Keely shook her head, but still smiled when he walked in. Only one time, she got off work early and decided go home by herself. By Eliot's reaction, you would have thought she had gone streaking through a riot. Eliot would never forgive her for it nor ever let it happen again. The combination of soldier and country boy could be insanely protective, especially towards women.

Still despite how irritating it was at times, it gave her a warm and fuzzy glow. It was nice, knowing someone cared about how you got home, especially when you happened to be in love with that someone. A sentiment Keely tried not to dwell on too much since she discovered it at the hospital.

When he sat at the bar, she pulled a draft of his favorite beer, "Hey there, stranger." She slid it down the counter and Eliot caught it, nodding at her in gratitude.

Yet his attention wasn't on her for long, his gaze found Nate and Sophie sitting a nearby booth and meeting with a new client. Keely had been serving them drinks and had overheard enough of their conversation to understand the gist of their predicament. The couple held hands as they spoke to Nate and Sophie. Keely didn't need psychic abilities to know that they had lost their child. The resembled half-alive zombies, appearing as if the smallest actions took insurmountable effort. Their eyes were drowning in darkness and sadness. Keely's heart broke for them.

They needed help convicting the food company GenoGrove, whose toxic fertilizer, poisoned and killed their daughter. Yet their case had insufficient evident. To win it, they would need a miracle … or the Leverage team.

* * *

Eliot slammed the door open and stomped into Nate's place, throwing his equipment against the wall. "So now we're have to get on a plane?! Are you kidding me?"

Nate followed him inside, "The CEO said an "asset" is on that flight. If we want to help the Jamesons, we need to get our hands on it. Once it leaves the country, while never see it again. The flight leaves tomorrow, Hardison can you get us on it?"

Hardison sat at his computer, "It won't be easy. The flights look pretty full, but I'll see what I can do."

Keely came patterning down the stairs, "Oh good, you're back. How'd it go?"

One look at Eliot's fierce scowl gave her, her answer. She scrunched her nose, "That good, huh?"

Eliot pushed back his hair in agitation as Keely made her way down. "Listen Keely, I might have to be gone for a few days. We have to get on a plane to find the evidence for the Jameson's case."

"Ok."

"Look, I know it's not ideal, but if it wasn't for that girl, I wouldn't even… Wait. What did you say?"

Keely shrugged, "Ok. I'll just stay here. It's not that big of a deal. This is what you do right? It's important."

Nate gestured towards Hardison, "Hardison will stay too. We need him to go to the company to keep an eye on them."

Keely smiled and held up her fist to Hardison, "Sweet! Lord of the Rings marathon?"

Hardison returned the fist bump, "You know it."

Eliot's brow furrowed. His expression was positively stormy at Keely's apparent pleasant attitude towards his prolonged absence. It would be the longest he had ever been away from her since they met.

Before he could comment, he was interrupted by Keely's excited squeal. "Oh, this is perfect!" She sprinted up the stairs and returned with a full backpack. She dropped it onto the counter. "So I know you're not leaving on a real trip, but I've been meaning to give your these for awhile. This is the perfect excuse."

She started to unzip her backpack, but then bit her lip self-consciously. "It's nothing fancy. I couldn't get much on a waitress's salary and I know you all could buy anything you wanted, but I just wanted to get you a little something as thank you for everything you've done for me. They're mostly stupid little joke gifts, but I hope you like them."

She reached in her bag and pulled out a small gift bag and handed it to Sophie. "Oh Keely, you're so sweet. You didn't have to get us anything." But still she made of short work of opening it. She pulled out a small gold statue and stared at it in awe. It was an Oscar replica, with Best Actress engraved at the bottom. Keely grinned, "Everyone else may not know it, but we do. You really are the best actress in the world."

Sophie fanned her face as her eyes watered. "Oh Keely, how thoughtful." She hugged Keely and then the silly fake statue as if it were one of her priceless stolen works of art. "I'll always treasure it."

Next ,Keely gave Eliot a small box and tapped it, "This is so you never forget the hero you were and still are." Eliot opened it to find a key chain nestled inside. It had the American flag and the Marine Corps tags on it. Eliot smiled and nodded, "Awesome." He looked up at her, his blue eyes glowing with warmth. "Thanks."

She gave Hardison a small bag. "Pretty standard, but something even a tech genius would need." Hardison pulled out a screen cleaning kit. "Thanks, I actually ran out and needed more…" He paused when he reached into the soft dark bag and found something foreign. He pulled it out and saw that it was a photograph. One of him and Parker. Both of them were laughing and Parker was leaning against his shoulder.

Before, Hardison could respond, Keely held a finger to her lips to signal him to silence and then winked at him. Hardison looked down at the photograph with a smile and then back up at Keely. He returned the wink.

Keely turned and jumped nearly a foot when she found Parker right behind her. Parker held her hands out, opening and closing her fingers like a baby asking for a toy. "My turn now! My turn! Where's mine?"

Keely chuckled but handed her a small rectangular box. Parker shook it and then frowned, "It doesn't sound like cash."

"That's cause it's not Parker. I told you, part-time waitresses can't buy much. I doubt you'd find one bill appealing. Hopefully, you'll like it anyway."

Parker's frown deepened, "Fine, but I can't promise anything."

She ripped the wrapping to shreds and unearthed a small black book. Parker held it up and shook it, eyeing it like it was an alien. "What's this?"

Keely gently took it from her and opened the pages. "It's photograph book." It was pictures of the Leverage crew, the result of her paparazzi style photography of them over the last few weeks.

Photos of Eliot teaching Parker to play darts, of Parker hanging upside in her rigging with a beaming smile and giving a thumbs up, of Sophie reaching up to fix Parker's hair while prepping for a con, of Nate and Parker standing in front of a building plan, staring at it with equal expressions of concentration. Of Keely and Parker, taken from Keely's outstretched hand. Of Hardison and Parker erupting in a fit of laughter when Parker jumped on Hardison's back and insisted being piggybacked home.

Keely cleared her throat, "Now you know that you will never be alone again. You have a family." Parker was silent and stagnant as she thumbed through the pictures. It was as solemn as Keely had ever seen her. "Parker. You okay?"

"Yeah," Parker answered, clearly choked up. She cleared her throat and repeated, "Yeah I'm fine. I mean it's not money, but I guess it's okay." Parker's lips curved unconsciously and Keely patted her back. She knew what Parker really meant.

Nate stood with his hands in his pockets and a small smile on his face as he rocked back on his heels and waited for his gift. He expected Keely to return to her bag and pull out another package. But she didn't. In fact, she was ignoring him completely. She wondered around to everyone else, talking about their gifts and didn't even set eyes on him!

Frustrated, and embarrassed about it, Nate slammed down his mug with a hard clang, making everyone's heads snap towards him. Keely didn't say anything and just blinked at him in complete innocence. With a dark scowl, he stomped up the stairs. He would die rather than admit he was hurt by Keely's cold shoulder

Not much later, Nate heard a knock at his door, which was odd. Usually the rest of the crew didn't even bother to knock before they came barging in. Therefore he wasn't too surprised to find Keely in his doorway, when he opened it.

She was shuffling and twisting nervously. "So I couldn't buy you a gift."

"Oh really," Nate cleared his throat and leaned against the door frame, "I hadn't noticed."

Keely shifted a brow at him and smirked, demonstrating she knew very well he _had _noticed. She stepped past him into his room. "The truth is you were very difficult to buy for. There are very few things you actually want and you've already gotten those for yourself already." Keely took a deep breath, "So I had to think really hard about what you _actually _wanted and I realized I couldn't get your gift in a store."

Keely unearthed a book wrapped in simple brown packaging paper from behind her back. "I figured you wouldn't want to open it in front of everyone."

Nate's brows furrowed quizzically, having no idea what kind of gift could cause Keely's secrecy or apprehension. He gingerly took the package and slowly unwrapped it. At first, it didn't make any sense. It was just a composition book, one of those cheap school notebooks you could find at any office supply store. Yet as he tore the paper away from the cover, he saw something written on the front, scrawled in childish handwriting… a name.

Sam Ford.

Nate hissed and sucked in a deep breath at the sight of it, falling against the wall and brushing back his hair with shaking hands. "In first grade, Sam's teacher had them start writing in a journal. He loved that project. He was really secretive about it too. Wouldn't let Maggie or I even look at it."

Keely nodded, "He really did love it. He continued to write in it, even after."

"How… how did you…."

Keely nodded slowly. "I had a vision once after seeing Sam's drawing of you. I saw him sitting on his bed and writing in that journal. He liked to hide it." She chuckled softly, "He thought it was his secret spy book. He wanted to be an investigator, just like you. So once I could go out on my own, I went your old house and talked the owners into letting me take a look around. I knew where he kept it. Some loose boards behind his desk." She watched Nate for a moment. He barely flinched. "You don't seem that surprised that I was able to find it."

Nate shook his head and finally looked up at her, "No, no I knew you were telling the truth."

Keely was surprised. He had never mentioned it to her. Never acted like he bought into the whole psychic thing.

"How long?"

Nate shrugged, "It was just… the pieces fit. It was the only plausible explanation for the things you knew and how earnestly that company was hunting you down. I had some sincere suspicions when you got us out of that chemical plant. When I watched footage of you helping Sophie escape the drug dealers at the mall, I knew for sure."

Nate just kept staring at the journal and running his hands over the cover again and again, as if terrified to open it.

She bit her lip and wrung her hands, "I debated even giving it to you. Such a thing has to be difficult, bringing back painful memories with the good ones, but I decided you deserved to know what a good boy you raised and how much he loved you. He wrote a lot about you."

Nate started to say something, but then had to stop. He blew out a breath and shifted his feet. He tried again, but the words got stuck as soon as he started to speak.

Keely took mercy on him. She walked up to him, reached up to her toes and kissed his cheek. She smiled warmly up at him, "Thanks for saving me Nate."

Nate watched Keely bound down the stairs. After she was out of hearing distance he finally whispered, "Thank you."


	24. Chapter 24

(MILE HIGH JOB EPISODE SPOILER WARNING!

I know this episode did not happen while they lived in Boston, but I'm taking some creative license so it fits. ;) )

Eliot just passed through security when he heard his phone ringing. He had become so reliant on the coms that he hardly ever used it anymore. He only bothered with it now because Keely had one. She was the only person he spoke with on a regular basis that didn't have a com.

Therefore he didn't even have to look at it to know who was calling him, "Hey Keely."

"Elliot!" She sounded breathless and anxious. "Thank God, you picked up. I tried everyone. Eliot, don't get on the plane!"

Elliot couldn't help the smug smile that descended on his lips. He knew she was more upset with his long departure than she first led on. It wasn't surprising that she was suddenly troubled with him leaving her side for a whole weekend. They had barely been out of each others' sight since he first met her. The poor thing must be frazzled with uncertainty and insecurity.

He immediately went in soothing mood, "Relax Baby Girl, I won't be gone long. Just stay at headquarters with Hardison. He'll keep you safe... Well as best he can. I'm sure he's got weird tech security everywhere. I'll be back before you know it."

His reassurance did no good. She was still just as distraught. "No Elliot, you don't understand! Something's wrong with the plane. You, all of you, can't get on it. Try to find a way to keep it from taking off."

Elliot raised a brow, "And you would know this… how?"

She growled with frustration, "I just know okay!" Elliot held the phone to his chest to hide his exasperated sigh. Women were so paranoid when it came to travelling, especially flying.

He tried to not let the exasperation show in his sugary sweet tone, "Keely, it'll be fine. There's nothing wrong with the plane. I promise you. I have to go. They're boarding now."

Keely screamed into phone, "No! Eliot, no! Listen to me! You can't…"

When she heard the phone give a resounding beep signaling the connection was lost, she yelled with anguish, banging her fist against the car window. She dug her fingers into her scalp, trying to not let the nauseating fear and worry consume her.

She had been just about to head outside for a run, when she was overcome by a vision of the plane crashing. It was so sudden and paralyzing, she barely had time to grip the banister before she completely tumbled down the stairs. The worst was her cursed ability showed that the plane was going to crash, but now _how _or _why_. It made stopping that much more difficult.

So she called everyone, but apparently when everyone uses coms to communicate they don't bother with cell phones. It was rotten luck that Eliot happened to be the one to pick up, since he was still the only one who didn't believe her psychic abilities and now proved less than useless. There was only one solution left. She banged on the taxi divider, "Please get me to the airport as fast as you can!"

* * *

Parker opened the panel and slid herself inside the narrow shaft that led down to the cargo, sighing with irritation. This job was proving a lot more unpredicted that usual. First they assumed the "asset" to be liquidated was money or valuables of some kind. It turned out to be a person, an accountant who was a little too through with her bookkeeping and unknowingly unearthed evidence that the food company hid the toxicity of their fertilizer.

Then they thought that the CEO was going to kill the girl using the security guard/hit man that followed her on board. They were wrong about that too. From searching the company's offices, Hardison discovered that both the accountant and the guard were a liability to GenoGrove and the CEO planned to eliminate both of them simultaneous, by taking out the plane they were all currently flying on.

Eliot was the one who finally figured it out first.

He bent over the counter, raking his hands through his hair. "God damn it, Keely was actually right. How the hell did she know?!"

Sophie held up her hands in a T, "Whoa, time out here. Keely was what?!"

Eliot rubbed his hands over his face, "Keely called me just before the flight and warned me to not get on the plane, that there was something wrong with it."

Everyone screeched in unison, "What?!"

Parker's brow furrowed, "Well, why didn't you do it?!"

Eliot threw up his hands, "I didn't think she could possibly be right! She didn't have any reason for it. 'She just knew' was what she said. What was I supposed to think?"

Sophie took hold of his shoulders and shook him, "You blithering idiot! Why didn't you say anything!"

Nate pulled Eliot to face him, "Quick Eliot, tell me exactly what she said. Did she give you any clues as to how the plane was going to crash?"

"I mean… no. How could she possibly know anyway? She wasn't anywhere near the airport or GenoGrove Industries."

Parker scoffed, "Cause she's psychic, duh! It doesn't matter where she is."

Eliot glanced back and forth, between all of them. "Are you telling me you actually believe Keely is psychic, really and truly _psychic_."

"Yes!" everyone roared back at him.

Eliot stumbled back and collapsed in his seat looking like he'd been hit with a truck.

So here Parker found herself now, in yet another unexpected situation, searching the cargo hold for an explosive device. Parker sighed. It some ways it was still preferable to being a stewardess and dealing with the exasperating passengers.

When Parker landed with a soft thud, she used her flashlight to scan the cargo hold. Unexpectedly, the ball of light landed on a pair of eyes staring right back at Parker with glowing intensity. Parker yelped in fright and jumped backwards falling on top of a stack of suitcases.

After much rustling and twisting, Parker finally freed herself from the bags and handles and returned her gaze to the mysterious eyes. "Keely?!"

It was utterly impossible, but there she was, crouched in the corner of the cargo hold. She was dressed in a torn and ragged groundcrew uniform and completely filthy. It looked as if she simply rolled in dirt and her wild hair stuck up all around her like she had stuck her finger into an electrical socket.

It was her expression that truly caught your attention. Her arms were crossed in a fed up and furious stance. And her features were darkened by a supremely fierce scowl. In short summary, she was extraordinarily pissed off.

She didn't even bother to react or move in response to Parker's arrival, until she pointed to the orange box. "The device that is going to cause the plane to crash is over there. It's hooked up to the plane's electrical system. You need Hardison to help you reset it. Can I go up now?"

Despite hearing Keely's voice over Parker's com, Elliot still couldn't get past the shock when he saw Keely pull herself up through Parker's self made cargo hole. She was smudged, disheveled and looked like she had escaped a mental institution… yet still somewhat adorable with dirt smudged across her pert nose and round cheeks.

Her facial expression was absolutely livid and as soon as she was on her feet, she ran up to him and shoved him, impressively knocking him into the wall. "Did you even bother telling them?!"

Elliot could only gape at her like an open mouthed fish, "I… I…"

Keely roared emphasizing each word by pushing him, "I knew it! You… great… big… oafish… dumb… caveman!" Elliot could hear Hardison snickering and made a mental note to punch him in the throat later.

Nate kept glancing back and forth between Keely and the opening to the cargo, "How on earth did you manage to even get in there?

Keely whirled on Nate, stalking towards him and bristling with outrage, "You want to know how I got in? I'll tell you exactly how I got in!" She started ticking off on her fingers.

"First, I raced like a madwoman to get to the airport. Then I broke into a woman's car to steal her uniform and identification. I saw where the uniform was, but unfortunately did _not_ know the woman had left her car temporarily and that her dog was still in the car! After being chased around the parking lot by a very territorial St. Bernard, I found a small hole in the fence and squeezed myself through."

She pulled back her collar to reveal the numerous scratches streaked along her back. "Then I stuffed my hair into a hat and kept it low and had to convince everyone I came in contact with that I was actually the woman I was impersonating. _Luckily_, I knew all of her passwords and codes and enough personal information to pass through. _Unluckily_, I did such a convincing job that one of the workers accosted me thinking I was his _girlfriend_! I had to knee the poor man in the groin to get away once he saw my face. Then I had to crawl under a luggage car and hang on for dear life as it was pulled for miles!"

Nate mumbled under his breath. "I don't think it was 'miles.'"

Keely glowered at him, "Well, it felt like miles! Have you ever been dragged underneath a luggage car, getting covered with filth and slammed around every time you hit the slightest bump!"

Everyone shook their heads, except Parker who nodded enthusiastically.

"Well, any distance under that thing is too long! Then I had to sneak into the cargo at the exact moment the groundcrews' backs were turned and hide _inside _a duffle bag! So you want to know how I got in there?"

She took hold of Nate's jacket collar, yanking him back and forth, seeming as if the stress and trauma had finally made her snap. "It… was… not… easy…"

Eliot took hold of Keely's shoulder and turned her face him. His eyes intense as he shook her, "You knew the plane was going to crash and so you snuck _onto _it! Are you crazy!"

Keely pushed Eliot's hands off of her shoulders. "Well, I wouldn't have had to, if you had just done what I said and stopped the plane before it took off!"

Eliot started to pace to get ahold of his temper, and then gave up, yelling at her instead. "Why in God's name would you do such a thing?!"

Keely roared back at him with clenched fists, turning bright red, "I had to save you!"

Keely froze, her eyes grew huge as she blinked at Eliot, who just blinked right back at her in amazement. Keely sputtered, "I mean, I had to… save all of you." She gestured frantically to the whole group and then pointed to the rest of the plane. "And all of the passengers too. I knew there was something wrong with the plane, but I didn't know what until I got here. I thought if I got on the plane and figured it out sooner, you would have more time to stop it."

"Keely, I…" he reached for her, but Keely side-stepped him, turning her back to him.

"Sophie, can you please get me some clothes to change into. I look pretty suspicious like this."

Nate nodded, "She's right. Parker you go down again and work with Hardison on how to stop that thing. We'll talk to the pilots. Sophie will take care of Keely."

Parker nodded and slid herself inside of the opening.

As Eliot watched Sophie reassuringly take hold of Keely's arm and lead her away, he put his hands on his hips and let out a big sigh. "I'm in big trouble, aren't I?"

Nate clapped him on the back, "Oh, yeah."

* * *

When Keely emerged from the restroom, reasonably put together and feeling somewhat human again. She found Eliot waiting for her.

Her eyes darkened and she tried to get by him without speaking to him. It wasn't going to happen. His hand moved more quickly than her reflexes and pulled back her shirt collar to look at the red and angry welts on her back. "You okay?"

Keely didn't say a word as she yanked her shirt away and shoved past him. Eliot followed her. "Keely, I'm sorry okay. It was dumb of me to not take you seriously. I never meant to put you through that. I mean… I never thought you could actually know about the plane. It's pretty impossible and unbelievable right?"

Keely finally spun around to face to him, vibrating with emotion. She pointed a finger at him with such force and temper, Eliot found his back pressing against the wall.

"No, I'll tell you what it means. You may protect me because it's your job and you may have a brotherly affection for me, but underneath it all I'm just a big joke to you. A simple, ignorant, overly dramatic girl who just gets herself in trouble. Tell me Elliot, I've lived with you for months. Do I really seem like that type of girl? The kind of girl that would call you in a panic, begging you not to get on a plane without good reason?"

Eliot was horrified to see her big brown eyes red and wet with fighting back tears. It was worse than if she had just started crying. He realized she wasn't just angry about all of the hardship she went through to get on the plane or even that their lives were still in danger. She was hurt he had dismissed her warning so easily. Hurt was a hell of a lot worse for a female than angry.

He reached out to her because that's what he always did when women were upset with him. Well, usually he kissed them breathless until they forgot the reason they were mad at him in the first place… and probably their own name as well. He couldn't do that with Keely, but he found himself wanting to hold onto her anyway, to comfort her distress.

Keely smacked his hand. "Stop that! Don't touch me. In fact, don't even talk to me. Until this plane is on the ground, don't come near me!"

She turned heel and stomped away.

Eliot curled his fist in frustration, his brow lowering. He was surprised by how Keely's stipulation made him so upset. The idea of being forbidden to touch her or go near her really rattled him. To the point that he wanted to rebel against it.

"Baby g…"

"I mean it Eliot! And don't you dare call me that now!"

Eliot stood, huffing with exasperation. He rubbed the pad of his fingers over his eyes. _This was going to be a disaster…_ and he didn't just mean the plane possibly hurtling them to their doom.

Keely had barely strapped herself into her seat before the plane started bouncing around in earnest. Then Nate came bursting through the curtains. He was breathing heavily and sweating as he searched the plane. His eyes landed on her with relief and he made his way towards her.

"Keely! Our coms are down. Hardison was running a code sequence to block the device and we were waiting for his signal to reset the system. But now…"

Keely turned ashen, "Now you don't know when to reset it."

Nate took hold of her shoulders, "We need you to tell us when to reset it. Can you do it?"

Keely shook her head, "I don't know. I've never done anything like that before. I've never been able to make it happen."

"Well now's a good of time as any to start trying." He grabbed her hand and pulled her into the cockpit.

The pilots were in a panic, furiously pushing buttons and forcing the controls to move with all of their might.

It was actually more nerve-wracking to be in the cockpit and see how helpless and terrified the pilots truly were, rather than sitting with the passengers.

Keely took a deep breath. "What's our margin for error here?"

Nate shook his head, "Not much."

Keely took another deep breath, gripped the seat in front of her and closed her eyes.

She could hear the pilots yelling, "Who the hell is _this _now?!"

Keely yelled back, "Shut up!"

They were so shocked they actually listened to her.

Keely needed to concentrate as much as possible, using all of her willpower. She had never been able to force being able to _see._ It worked only when it wanted to or if she was in danger. She tried to think of that. _I am going to die. We are all going to die if I can't do this. Find Hardison._

With all of her determination, she thought of Hardison. She tried to imagine him, probably sitting at a computer in an office building, wearing that suit she saw him leave that morning in. _Where was he? What was he doing? _

She felt a glimmer of something, but it was slippery, like trying to grasp minnows. She clutched onto it, mentally digging her heels in. Her fingernails dug into the seat almost painfully.

Keely pushed so hard so could barely breath. Her muscles straining with effort. Then it came through in a powerful whoosh. She was standing over Hardison, as if she was looking over his shoulder. Working furiously at the computer and shouting over the com.

Suddenly, her eyes flew open, "Now!"

"Reset it now!" Nate echoed.

The pilots quickly flipped the switches. The satisfactory whirl of machines returned control to the pilots. But it was too early to celebrate. Their descent was too rapid and they had no where to land, but a highway. The pilots yelled at them over their shoulder, "Strap down!"

Keely turned and Nate's eyes widened when he saw her face. "Keely, your nose…"

Keely instinctively reached for her nose and felt cool sticky liquid. She pulled her hand away and saw blood smeared across her fingertips.

She wiped it away with her shirtsleeve, not having time to worry about it now. "I'm fine. I'm fine. Let's go!" She shoved Nate out the door and followed close behind.

Eliot gripped the armrests as the plane was tossed around like a bouncing marble. He was practically oblivious to the chaos and screaming cries erupting around him. He was feeling like the worst sort of fiend… a traitor. No matter how bad Eliot had been, he had never been that.

He remembered sitting across his bed from Keely after she had snuck away to save Josie and promising her to always believe her no matter how unbelievable it seemed.

The very first time she asked that of him, he brushed her off. Honestly, he wasn't even considering her strange ability to know things at that at time. He was more focused on her feelings about him leaving her. That blinded arrogance had cost him.

He was sure that hurt and betrayed expression on Keely's face would haunt him till his last days, which could still very well be today. He glanced around the plane at all of the terrified passengers. If they didn't make it… all of their lives were on his head. All because he was too stupid and stubborn to listen to Keely when she asked for help. The guilt was eating him alive. Worry was starting to creep up as well. _When was she going to come back?_

Keely came through the cabin curtain clutching any surface for stability and support as the plane rocked. Eliot breathed a sigh of relief. The closest open seat to Keely was right next to him. Keely took one look at it, then one look up at him, and headed in the opposite direction to an open seat that was much further away.

"Damn it Keely! Come here!"

Keely said nothing as she took a step away from him, glaring at him hotly.

Eliot cursed again as he unbuckled his seat belt and lunged after her. He grabbed hold of her and pulled, but she fought him. _Enough was enough_.

With a growl and one great swoop, he wrapped an arm around her waist and scooped her up, like a football tucked under his arm. Keely thrashed helplessly, "Let go of me! Let go you big Neanderthal bully!" Eliot was not deterred by her resistance or insults. He didn't loosen his grip until she was strapped in the seat beside him.

He held her down against the seat. "Stop it Keely!"

He took hold of her shoulders, "I know you're angry at me. You have every right to be angry at me. I was stupid and I broke a promise and I should have known better than not to believe you. When we get home I'll let you punch me as many times as you want. You can ignore me as much as you want." He took hold of her hand, "But not now Keely. You can't run from me now."

The plane jerked and weaved with more violence and the screams were deafening. Keely knew what Eliot was talking about. This could be the end. They could both die right now. No matter how mad and frustrated she was at him, if they really were about to die, there's no one else she'd rather spend her last moments with.

The plane dipped and swerved and Keely found herself latching onto Eliot's arm instead of pushing it away. She buried her face into his shoulder as the plane made its final choppy descent.

They touched down, slamming hard and bouncing back up. Eliot curled his body over hers as much as possible to shield her.

The plane touched down again, but this time managed to stay on the ground. Keely prayed with all of her might as she held onto Eliot. It felt like a millennium, but the plane finally came to a screeching halt.

The entire plane erupted in cheers. Hooting and hollering and hugging strangers and loved ones. Keely turned to Eliot, laughing and nearly crying with relief. He took her face in his hands, his fingers diving into her hair, and kissed her full on the lips.

With a big smack, he pulled away, offering her a radiant wicked smile. "We made it! We really made it! You did it!"

Completely inert, Keely made a small noise between a squeak and a moan, unable to form coherent sentences, or words, or even thoughts for that matter.

_He kissed her! He actually kissed her! _

Like most girls who were in the company of \boys they liked on a regular basis, Keely couldn't even count the number of daydreams in which Eliot would kiss her. And now if finally happened. And it was…

…nothing like she imagined.

It was quick and cheerful, and more celebratory than romantic.

Eliot was oblivious. He was hugging and high fiving everyone near them. _How dare he! _He just kissed her like it was nothing. Like he had just greeted a good pal. She felt the hundreds of earth-shattering scenarios she imagined Eliot kissing her, dissolving into thin air. Then, she felt her temper boiling all over again.

She stood up and whapped the back of his head, "Jerk!"

"Ow!" Eliot rubbed the back of his head defensively, "What was that for?!"

"You!" Keely stopped herself and sputtered. What could she say to him? She couldn't very well admit he ruined her romantic notations of what kissing him would be like. Instead she stretched the truth, "You promised me I could hit you. I'm cashing it in."

As she marched towards the exit, Eliot started to chase after her, rubbing his injured head. "Hey, Keely? Wait."

But Nate's voice resounded in his ear, "Eliot, the accountant. Get her off the plane now"

Eliot growled as he watched Keely disappear into the crowd and then turned away, running towards the girl who still had a hit man after her, "I'm on it."

* * *

Once GenoGrove's guard was in police custody and the accountant's safety was assured, Eliot set out to find Keely. She was no where to be seen around the plane and the crowds rushing to the rescue. He found her on the edge of the highway staring out over the water.

He watched her for a moment. At least she had calmed down now. Her hair blew around her in a strawberry swirl. Her arms were crossed as she took in the beautiful tropical scenery, a content smile curving her lips.

He still couldn't believe she was a real psychic. No gimmicks. No tricks. No other explanations.

It frankly, deeply unsettled him.

How much did she actually know? She let things slip here and there, such as knowing where things were around his place without telling her, comments about him being a soldier or his home ec class, but how much did she actually know? Could she read thoughts? Know the future? Know the past? Know of _his _past?

He had taken such pains to hide the things he had done from his Leverage team. They thought they knew, but only he knew the worst of it. The things he would never forget or forgive himself for. What if Keely saw it? She thought of him as a hero. What if she discovered the monster buried deep inside? It would change the way she felt about him forever and he wouldn't be able to stand it.

As he approached Keely, she spoke to him without taking her eyes off the water. "You're totally freaking out now, aren't you?"

Eliot coughed slightly and put his hands in his pockets, "Nah, I'm good."

Keely glanced at him out of the corner of her eye with a raised brow. She didn't believe him for a second.

She sighed and tilted her head. "If it makes you feel better, I have some sort of blockage when it comes to you. I never can seem to tell where you'll be, what your thinking… or feeling for that matter. I hardly think you could sneak up on me as much as you do, if I did."

Eliot laughed, envisioning the numerous times he had managed to startle Keely in the condo because he naturally moved so quietly and stealthy. First he did it accidentally and then he would do it on purpose. One time, she was carrying popcorn and when she turned and found him directly behind her, she screetched and jerked so hard that the entire contents of the bowl flew in the air.

It was amazing.

"Actually, that does help. Thanks."

She shrugged, "Nothing's really changed. I'm the same clutzy and spacy person I always was." Her brows lowered as she glowered at him, "Except from now on, when I say "Danger, Eliot Spencer, Danger!" you'll actually follow my instructions."

Eliot frowned, not liking the reminder, but nodded, "Yes, ma'am."

Keely gestured out to the water and smiled softly, "Isn't this just absolutely breathtaking. I've never been to the Cayman Islands. The trip getting here was a bit rough, but now that we're here, I'm glad I got to come"

Eliot grinned, placing an arm around her shoulder, "You don't seem as mad at me anymore."

"Oh no, I'm still plenty mad at you and it'll be quite a while until I get over it."

Wincing, Eliot started to retract his arm.

"But, if there's one positive thing I've learned in this whole hiding and running for my life mess, is that you never know what you will be doing tomorrow or what moment will be your last."

She took hold of Eliot's hand, interlacing her fingers with his. "So it's important to appreciate the small things when you can."

Eliot looked down at their joined hands and then at Keely's luminescent face, reflecting the tropical sunlight. He felt something constrict in his chest. He couldn't pinpoint was it was, only that Keely was the cause.

Eliot was suddenly struck by a new thought and started feeling anxious about Keely's psychic abilities for an entirely different reason.

It would never be over.

If Keely was a real psychic, they would do anything to find her and never stop chasing her...ever.

Even if they were somehow stopped, it would only be a matter of time until someone else discovered the truth and she would be in danger yet again.

Eliot squeezed her hand. He would have to make sure that never happened to her. He would have to keep her safe no matter what… or no matter how long.

Keely and Eliot remained there, removed from the storm of chaos surrounding them watching the glistening shore with their hands clasped together.


	25. Chapter 25

Eliot barely had time to unlock his door before Keely pushed her way through and flopped on the couch. "God, it's good to be home," she announced with a grin. Eliot followed her, dragging the rest of their suitcases through the doorway.

He started to grumble, but stopped himself. Keely was usually the type of girl who didn't let guys carry things for her, but she seemed to be making an exception, as of late. In fact, she seemed allow anything that caused him difficulty or annoyance. And no matter how much he wanted to refuse or protest, he bore it with a positive attitude as part of his penance.

Keely hadn't been over exaggerating when she said it would take awhile for her to get over his "dismissal" of her warning about the plane. He had discovered that although it took a lot to get Keely Thomas angry, she was a force to be reckoned with once she was.

Their stay in the Cayman Islands, which was supposed to be just a day, lasted 10 days. Everyone felt they deserved a well-needed tropical and relaxing vacation after the ordeal they had gone through. Even Hardison flew out to join them.

Eliot wasn't pleased about it. Lounging on the beach was not his favorite vacation. There were many other ways he would have like to spend his free time, such backpacking through an Amazon jungle, an African safari or deep sea diving.

But Keely was thrilled, so he complied without a mumble of complaint… well barely a mumble. When it came down to it, he owed her.

Eliot dumped the bags at the bottom of the stairs. Since they had no real luggage with them when they arrived at the Caymans, Sophie had taken them on a shopping extravaganza for the clothes they needed. Keely had more suitcases full of clothes now than she currently had in her closet.

He rolled his shoulder blade to release the tension of carrying them and watched Keely, who was already curled up on the couch, and looked as if she were ready to take a nap.

He grinned mischievously. Well, on the bright side, he had gotten to see Keely in a bathing suit, which had been a bonus. She always wore such conservative clothing that he often forgot what she really looked like underneath all of it. The girl had some serious curves and in all of the right places. If she had been anyone except… well Keely, Eliot would have been seriously tempted.

Yet, the girl was completely daft. She ran around splashing in the waves or playing beach volleyball, completely ignorant of the men goggling at her. Eliot took care of them easily enough with a well-aimed rock to get their eyes unstuck. Eliot shook his head at her as he watched her peaceful form on the couch. So innocent and naïve, like a ten year old in an adult's body. How had she managed without him?

Eliot wandered around the condo checking for any signs of intrusion, while they were gone. Keely lugged her suitcases the rest of the way to her room by herself, while he was occupied.

Then he opened the sliding glass door and walked out on to the wide balcony. Part of the reason he had bought this condo in the first place was because of the insanely large wrap around deck. It was large enough for a pool or an outdoor bowling alley. Eliot, had turned it into an impressive fruit and vegetable garden, completely with it's own green house and gardening tools shed. He hadn't intended for his trip to last more than a couple of days. Luckily, it must have rained while they were gone because the plants weren't too dry. He started to water them and then Keely hopped outside, picking up a watering can herself to join him.

Usually he was so particular about the care of his garden, he didn't let anyone else near it. Keely was the only exception, because she only person he shared a living space with for such a lengthy amount of time and she couldn't mess it up too badly with just watering. Mostly, he let her help because carrying her own suitcases to her room and helping him water the plants were good signs that his atonement was almost at an end.

Eliot brushed the dirt off his hands and glanced down at his watch. "I have go over to Nate's. We have a new job. You okay here?" Keely waved him off, her watering can still sloshing with water. "Go. I'll be fine. I have to unpack and stuff anyway."

"Alright, call me if there's a problem."

Keely nodded absently as she returned to watering cucumber clusters.

Eliot sighed. She wasn't really listening to him. She never listened when she thought he was nagging.

Eliot just stepped inside the elevator when he heard a crash down the hallway. From around the corner, at the end of the hallway came Keely's hurtling form. She was racing towards him, but skidding and knocking into things in the process. "Eliot! Eliot wait!"

Eliot barely had time to side-step the human wrecking machine as she barreled into the elevator. Her hands were on her knees as she panted for breath. She held up a finger, asking for a moment before she could regain her ability to speak.

She finally stood up and let out a deep breath, "Whoa. Whew. Ok. So, I apparently need to come with you."

Eliot grew worried, "Why did something happen?"

"No, no. I just… I need to come with you. After you left, I got this really strong sensation that I need to see what this job is about, so I need to come with you to Nate's briefing."

Eliot just studied her with crossed arms and furrowed brows, "Why would that be?"

Keely shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe it's just something I need to hear or you need my help on this job. I stopped asking myself why about these things. I just go with it."

Eliot gave a hard and gruff chuckle, "I'm sorry, it sounded like you said we might need your help on a job?"

"Maybe."

Eliot's voice became steely as he came closer towards her, "No, you see there is no maybe, because it is not going to happen."

Keely raised her brow at him and tapped her foot, "I think my help the last time was pretty useful. Don't you? Hmmmm?"

Eliot shook his finger, pressing his lips together with frustration, "No, no, that was completely different and it is not going to happen again. If you see something and call to let us know… Great! Fantastic! Thanks for warning! But you are not going to get involved with the jobs." Keely started to say something, but he interrupted her. "NEVER going to happen Keely! Don't even think about it!"

* * *

"These are our clients." Nate clicked the remote and image after image filled the screen, too numerous to look at any one in detail. Except it was easy to see they were all in hospital beds, strapped to numerous tubes and respiration machines. Their bodies were covered with wrappings and bandages, but you could still see the horrific burns marring their flesh. Nate pointed to behind him, "And these are just the survivors. Over 50 already died."

Keely gasped with horror.

Sophie gestured to the screen. "I heard about this. A fire in a night club down in Flordia." She covered her mouth, shaking her head. "Such a senseless tragedy. But they said the fire was started by arson and the culprit died in the fire he created?" Nate placed his hands in his pockets and raised his brows.

Sophie sighed, "So I guess we're not believing that, are we?"

"If it was anything other than arson, the nightclub and its owner would be held liable for the fire, either for faculty construction or disregarding fire safety standards. One of the club's surviving employees contacted me and he said he heard a conversation about blueprints, fire codes and needing to get rid of the evidence. He said it made no sense to him, until the fire happened. He thinks the owner knew the club wasn't fire safe and rather than fix it, decided to hide the evidence, namely the blueprints."

Parker chimed in, "So our job it to find the real blueprints and use them to prove that there was not arsonist and the owners knew the club wasn't safe."

Nate pointed at her, "Bingo."

Parker shrugged, "Sounds easy enough."

Hardison stepped forward. "You would think so, but there is a reason no charges were brought against them. This is Omar Diaz."

Images of Omar Diaz flooded the screen. He was the polar opposite of Vanpelt. A man that would be impossible to go unnoticed. Very attractive with gold skin, strong masculine features, and a sculpted physique. His confidence and charisma seemed to ooze off of him, even from just 2- dimensional photos.

Hardison continued, "A second generation Puerto Rican living in Florida. His parents were poor immigrants and he became a self-made millionaire by the time he was 30 years old. He is, hands down, the most successful nightclub and bar owner in Florida, maybe even the country. His clubs generate millions and according to the chat rooms, are insanely popular and difficult to get into."

Nate rubbed his chin, "Ok, he's been very successful at a young age, so he's smart. He doesn't come from money so he knows its value and how to be careful. I bet you, he has all of those blueprints right under his nose, where he can keep an eye on them himself. Something tells me he doesn't trust easily. Where is he?"

"He's usually at his flagship club in Florida, 'El Diablo.'"

"Can you get us footage?"

"Sure, but I don't think it'll help much." With a few swift key strokes several videos from the club popped up onto the screen. Swaying and gyrating bodies amidst pulsating lights.

Parker narrowed her eyes, "I can't see him."

"That's just it. No one can. He is always in his VIP room, which is right behind that two-way mirror. There are no cameras in that room so there's no way to see him."

"Alright Hardison, get Sophie onto that guest list. We need to…"

"Whoa, wait. Hold your horses there. I can get you into that club, no problem, but that room is an entirely different story. There is no list. The only way to get in there is for Diaz to personally invite you. I can hack a lot of things, but I can't hack a man's brain."

"No," Sophie chuckled, "that's where I come in."

Nate watched the videos with a discerning eye, "Wait, hold it there. The guard is escorting that girl in the VIP room. How did she get in?"

Eliot chuckled, "Are you kidding me? Look at her. I noticed her immediately. She's difficult to miss." He elbowed Hardison, "Ain't that right Hardison?" Hardison started to smile and nod, until he saw Parker's and Keely's dark glares.

"You see that. That's all him over there. I'm not with him. For shame Eliot… for shame!"

He rewound the footage so they could watch the girl's exchange with the bouncer more closely. Keely let out a low whistle. The girl may seem like another bimbo busty blonde, but the girl could dance. Her daring and sensual moves soon gained the attention of the entire crowd. It wasn't too long before the bouncer emerged from the upstairs VIP room and gestured for the girl to join them. With a smug grin of flattery and triumph the barely dressed blonde sashayed upstairs.

Sophie scoffed, "Well, it's easy to see how she got Omar Diaz's attention. I have no respect for girl who attract men through overt promiscuity. I mean, where's the delicacy? Where's the art?" She shook her head, "How can men be attracted to that vulgar prostrating? Just disgraceful."

"Actually, she's not bad." Everyone whipped around to face Keely, shocked by her observation. Out of everyone, they were sure Keely would be the most scandalized. Eliot was sure he'd turn around to see her shielding her eyes.

"Well, look at the other girls near her." Keely pointed to two girls in particular. "They are being just as scandalous, if not more so. The difference is they are just… crude! Gyrating, grinding and basically nothing else. He picked a girl that actually knows what she is doing. See her footwork and that back bend. That's not easy."

She turned back to the crew to see them all gawk at her in astonishment.

"What? I know about this ok? I took dance since I was a kid."

"Alright Sophie so study up on your club dance moves and just…"

Sophie interrupted him with laughter, "Oh you're very sweet Nate to think that I can still do that, but no, that's not going to happen."

"What… what do you mean? You impersonate whatever we need. That's what you do!"

Sophie shook a finger at him. "No. I don't. I can waltz or tango well enough for a competition. I can perform Swan Lake's routine from memory. I know traditional Asian drum dances and can even hold my own in a bellydancer's performance, but that… distasteful display." She pointed to a girl straddling a pole and twisting around it. "I can not and will not do that."

Nate rubbed his eyelids, "Alright then. Parker, you're the hook."

Parker cracked her knuckles and rolled her neck back and forth, " Alright, alright. I've got this."

Hardison clapped his hands and hooted with enthusiasm. He clicked the remote so that a hip hop techno mix filled the room. "Let's see what you got."

At first Parker stood completely rigid.

Keely gave her a gentle shove, "Umm, Parker. You have to move."

"Oh right. Right."

Parker started stepping side to side and clapping, both were heinously off beat. Everyone cringed at the sight of her. Hardison shook his head and mumbled under his breath, "She don't got it. Babe, move your hips or bend your legs or something." They tried to intercede to help Parker emulate the scintillating dancer in the club.

Quite awhile later the crew discovered that although Parker had a nearly supernatural grace and coordination when it came through weaving through security, she had absolutely no rhythm when it came to dancing.

Nate slumped onto the couch, "We're in trouble."

Keely cleared her throat, "I can do it."

No one heard her. Eliot chimed in. "I have a friend I can give a call."

"No, no. It's a too important job to trust to an outsider."

Keely spoke louder, "I can do it."

Once again, her announcement was overlooked.

Sophie sighed, "Maybe there's another type he likes besides the dancers. Have we watched the rest of the footage?"

Parker leapt over the couch and landed softly on the seat, "Just let me break in when they are not there."

Nate stood up, fighting his frustration and temper. "No, no. None of that will work! We need to see him…"

A shrill and loud whistle pierced the air.

They turned to face Keely at the back of the room in surprise.

She was waving her arms like she was trying to flag down a ship, "I said, I can do it. I'll dance and get into that room."

There was a full moment of silence, before someone snickered and then someone else chuckled. Soon she was surrounded by cascading laughter.

Keely crossed her arms, her brow furrowed, crinkling above her nose. "I really don't see why it's that funny. I took dance for years and was on a dance team in high school _and_ college. I'm the most qualified to do this."

This only seemed to make them laugh harder. Eliot pointed at her. "Can't you just see her up there." He imitated a cheesy Shirley Temple-ish foot-tapping move.

Keely's fists clenched and her brow furrowed with irritation.

Noting her expression, Nate coughed into his hand to hide the chuckle in his throat, and tried to backpedal to repair the blow to her pride. "Look Keely, we're not saying you couldn't… just that you, shouldn't. Well, also that you couldn't, but…"

He was sputtering and looked to Sophie for help.

She got up and placed an arm around Keely. "Keely, you are a beautiful girl and very attractive. Why with the right training, I could get a man to propose to you in a month flat! But you're a sweet good girl that draws in honest men." She pointed to the screen. "That right there, is a scumbag. He wants only one type of girl. No, no dear, that's not for you."

Parker was infinitely less delicate. "Yeah, I mean look at them and look at you."

Keely looked down and found herself still in her clothes from gardening; ragged jeans, one of Eliot's country rock shirts that she borrowed/stole to sleep in, and yes… braided pigtails.

_Okay, so her image at the moment did support their lack of faith in her ability to whip men into a lustful frenzy._ As they turned back to the screens and returned to their discussion of a new plan and yet again dismissing her presence, Keely felt her temper start to sizzle.

_That was just plain rude. Dancing for and trying to seduce a man like Diaz wasn't her favorite thing either. She was just trying to help. _

Her temper began to bubble.

_Sure, she wasn't innately sensual and knowledgeable like Sophie or had Parker's magnetic prowess to attract men without even trying, but she wasn't a complete wallflower. They acted as if their seven-year-old little sister had made the offer instead of a full-grown woman._

Eliot's impression of her lame tap dancing flooded her brain and her temper flared up to a roaring boil.

_They didn't know everything about her! She may not be a skilled flirter and Eliot still managed to make her jump when he touched her, but dancing was different. She was a good dancer and it was actually one of the few things she had complete confidence in. If she said she could dance the same way as those girls in the club, that meant she could do it! What right did they have to judge her and shoot her down before letting her try? _

Reaching her snapping point, Keely stomped to the kitchen, whipped open a drawer and pulled out a pair of hardy kitchen shears. No one noticed her disappear into the bathroom with them.

Completely oblivious to Keely's actions, the Leverage crew kept their gaze forward, still focused on devising a new solution. Therefore, they didn't notice Keely's gradual transformation as she walked back and forth across Nate's place behind them.

She called out, "Sophie, can I borrow a pair of your emergency shoes?" When Sophie didn't respond, she repeated it louder. Sophie didn't bother to turn around, "Hmm? Sure, sure. That's fine."

Keely knew Sophie had no idea what she just agreed to, but accepted it as permission anyway.

She stood at the open doorway, "Bye guys. I'm heading down to the bar. I'm sure I'll see you there soon."

Everyone said bye distractedly as she slammed the door behind her.

Hardison winced in Eliot's direction, "She seems really mad, man."

Eliot took a sip of his beer, "She'll be fine. Are you kidding me? She's like a human Strawberry Shortcake." He nodded towards the scenes from the club. "She'd try whatever twirls or toe taps she learned in her preppy dance classes and just be humiliated. A place like that would chew her up and spit her out."

* * *

Eliot noticed it first and glanced down at his feet. He looked up to Nate with his brow twisted in puzzlement. "Is there a big game on tonight?"

Nate didn't even bother to look away from the screens. "Huh?"

Eliot's frown deepened. "The bar. There's a big commotion going on downstairs."

Everyone stopped and looked down to the floor. They had been so absorbed in their work they hadn't noticed, but sure enough Eliot was right. You could feel the vibrations of pounding music and the muffled roars of a raucous crowd.

Although the bar was right underneath Nate's apartment, it was very rare to hear any noise at all. It was pretty well insulated and since it was a neighborhood family-owned pub, it rarely got too boisterous in the first place. The only exceptions were specific Irish and Boston holidays and of course any time the Red Sox, Celts or Pats had a big game. On those days Nate was down at the bar anyway, unable to resist tipping his hat off to his Boston heritage. But none of those events were occurring tonight.

Parker shrugged, "It's probably just a sudden big crowd or something."

Sophie glanced at her watch, "At 8:00 on a Thursday night?"

Everyone exchanged curious and confused glances before they gave in and headed downstairs to find the cause of the abnormal hullabaloo.

The sounds became steadily louder as they came closer. Once they opened the door, the whooping and hollering was near deafening. The Leverage team had to squeeze through the wall of people pressed tightly shoulder to shoulder, swaying to the beat of the music and shouting.

Eliot pulled on his ear with a scowl. Some hip hop nonsense was blaring over the speakers, very un-McRory's. It was already giving him a headache and made him want to rip out the speaker cords.

His irritation screeched to a halt when he saw what everyone was so excited about. A wicked grin spread across his face and he chuckled, rubbing his hands together diabolically. _Oh it was going to be a good night. _A group of sturdy long wooden tables were pushed together, making one long platform down the center of the room. Girls were standing on top of the tables and dancing. Most just flung their arms over their heads and shook their hips with the music. Some were even pretty good, but it was impossible to notice them after catching a glimpse at the girl in the middle. This wasn't just a drunken table dance to her. She actually knew what she was doing.

Eliot felt his mouth go dry. He ogled her from the bottom up. Incredibly short jean cuts offs and high heeled boots extenuated the girl's shapely legs as she crouched low to the ground and back up again. Her body jerked and twisted remarkably in perfect unison with the beat, her hips moving so fast you would think they were on a motor. Her shirt was artfully ripped to shreds and tied back together so that it looked like it could fall off her any moment. Every time she ducked you prayed it would slid that extra inch of her creamy shoulder to give an even better view.

She spun and then kicked nearly straight up in the air, her golden red hair streaming out behind her….

Wait a minute…. red hair….

Red hair?!

In shocked dismay, Eliot's perverted appraisal finally reached the girl's face and his mouth dropped. She had done something to her face, but it was Keely! Dark red lipstick covered that full mouth, turning pink sweetness into a sinful pout. Shadow and God-knows what other womanly whiles made her wide and innocent brown eyes, become an exotic and seductive pure gold.

Eliot shook his head as if to erase the hallucination. The worst was how she moved. It was nothing like the Keely who usually bounded around like a puppy. This Keely moved as if she were wanton and knew exactly what to do with a body like hers.

He had never been so torn in his life. He was equal parts horrified and hypnotized. He wanted to march to that table, hoist her over his shoulder, carry her away from the ogling, and lock her in a room until she returned to the normal Keely. Yet, somehow he still found himself glued to his spot, unable to tear his eyes off of her. _Where in God's name had she learned to dance like that?!_

He glanced around at the crowd surrounded her. They were staring at her with enrapture, hugging each other and cheering with glee. Some had taken out their phones and were trying to take videos. Eliot growled. That settled it.

_Locked in a room it was. _

Eliot knocked into people, making a path towards Keely

Nate elbowed Hardison, "Stop him."

Hardison's eyes bulged as his chin dropped, "Excuse you."

"Did you see his face? He's going to kill someone."

Hardison patted his chest, "Exactly, and I would rather it _not _be me. Besides, how do you suggest _I_ stop _him_."

Nate was pushing through the crowd, trying to get to Eliot. "You're the genius. Think of something!"

Hardison threw up his hands again, "Why does everyone keep saying that? I don't take that as a compliment anymore people. I know you're just trying to use me." Grumbling Hardison took out his phone and started pressing buttons.

Just as Eliot was about to drop kick the man who was being particularly enamored by Keely's dance and blocking his way, she looked out over the crowd, gave a saucy smile and reached down to her toes, spinning her leg above her head and around her until she was standing upright again, like a human windmill.

Eliot's raised fist dropped and he let out a hard cough, feeling as if he had been punched in the stomach. _God damn it._ He was not liking the feelings and urges her provocative dancing was stirring up… not one bit. He had to keep reminding himself of who it really was. Keely was strictly off limits! He promised himself that the first time he met her.

_Then_ she hopped down from the table, curling her finger towards one lucky son a bitch with a come hither glance. The man looked as thrilled as if he had won the lottery. He came closer towards her and Keely started dancing with him. Well, it was actually more of Keely spinning and twisting around him, while he stood shell shocked as a beanpole.

Eliot saw red, flooded with images of breaking that man in half. He assured himself it was just to protect Keely from being pawed at, even though in reality she was the one doing more of the pawing. Eliot surged forward and just as his fingers closed around her bicep and those golden eyes met his, a loud beeping sounded and streams of water came down on them.

"Fire alarm! Please everyone walk to the nearest exit!" Screaming, everyone rushed to the exit, except the Leverage crew. Eliot and Keely stood frozen in the moment as everyone ran by them towards the door.

Nate groaned, rubbing his eyes. "Hardison, this wasn't what I had in mind."

"You said stop him, so I stopped him. You can't be picky now."

"Hardison, did you think of what the water damage is going to do to the bar!"

"Oh… right. Sorry, my bad. I'll take care of that."

The water stopped immediately. Eliot and Keely were now alone in the middle of the bar. The only people who hadn't evacuated. His finger were still wrapped around her arm. both dripping with moisture from the sprinklers. He just stood there staring at her with a heat she was sure was anger. Keely stood up straighter, resisting the urge to cover herself. Her confidence and bravado seemed to dissipate when she wasn't dancing and they way he was looking at her made her want to shrink. Her eyes bore back into his, alight with fierceness. She wasn't going to intimidated or back down from this fight.

He finally moved, tugging on her arm. "You. Upstairs. Now!"


End file.
